


Did the Totem Fall?

by luxpermanet



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-29
Updated: 2011-06-29
Packaged: 2017-10-20 20:18:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 34,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/216723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luxpermanet/pseuds/luxpermanet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Was the love of a human powerful enough to save him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Sacred and the Profane

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the first round of the Kradam Reverse Big Bang Challenge on LJ.

_“I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,  
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.  
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,  
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.  
I love you as the plant that never blooms  
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;  
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,  
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.  
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.  
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;  
so I love you because I know no other way.  
That this: where I do not exist, nor you,  
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,  
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.”_

\- Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973)

 

Kris Allen rubbed his palms together, trying in vain not to think about the pair of warm, nubby gloves he’d neglected to stuff into his backpack. He had done some reading on the standard Los Angeles climate before leaving, and the ratio of rainy days to sunny days was at an estimated thirty-five to three-hundred sixty-five. The weather reports had warned him about rain showers in January (he didn’t feel like waiting another two months to make his trip), but he had not been expecting to land in LA with a minor tropical storm there to greet him. Storms in such a warm city were rare and never really dangerous, but the rains made the temperature drop and the windows fog up.

Kris had never been too fond of the cold.

He willed himself not to think about the hearth fireplace in their Conway home or the hot cocoa his Mama liked to make after dinner during the winter season. It scared him a little to think at how the comforts from his old life seemed to be nothing but a distant memory now. It had been his decision to leave everything behind, though, and he was determined to stand by it. After all, there was no one but himself to blame for the fact that he had run away from home.

It was interesting how something so drastic had emerged from something so simple. He had arrived home from college one day to the sight of his parents and the O’Connells, a couple that his folks had befriended at church, having coffee in the Allens’ living room. Being the polite man that he was, Kris joined them at his parents’ insistence, trying not to fall asleep while they conversed about the stock market, taxes and other things that he didn’t have to worry about yet. He was about to excuse himself in order to get some homework done when Mrs. O’Connell addressed him, saying how he seemed to be such a nice young man, and how lovely it would be if they could arrange a dinner date for him and her daughter Katy. He had stared at her dumbly for awhile, trying to figure out why on earth this woman would want her daughter to date some random guy she did not know at all. After the O’Connells had left, he’d asked his mother about it, and she said that it was probably because he was so well-liked around town because of his good nature.

That very incident had gotten Kris thinking.

He’d spent many a night studying his reflection in the mirror, wondering if he was going to have to live the remainder of his life carrying the small town boy label. Surprisingly enough, it didn’t take long for him to realize that this wasn’t the life he wanted to be living. Conway was safe; Conway was comfortable—and that was exactly why this kind of life was becoming hazardous to his mental well-being. He knew that he had to change his lifestyle. He knew that he needed to leave.

His last few weeks in Conway had been spent skulking around in secrecy. He had taken out a third of his savings and used part of it to purchase a one-way plane ticket to Los Angeles. He had also taken the precaution of looking for a place to rent on craigslist before leaving, as living on the streets of LA was definitely not a good idea. Afterwards, he had stuffed some clothes and travel necessities into a backpack, grabbed his guitar case, and left Arkansas in broad daylight. No one save for the cab driver had known that he was en route to the airport; people in Conway were a little slow on the uptake unless the felon was staring them right in the face.

Sighing, he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and pressed his nose to the window in an attempt to make sense of his whereabouts. He had been nose-deep in a city map awhile ago, but the lines, colors and squiggles on it only added to his confusion.

 _THUMP._

A gnarled hand swam into view, and he scooted back in surprise, almost landing on the lap of his seatmate. Chuckling softly, the man eased him back onto his seat, studying him with warm brown eyes that reminded Kris of a Siamese cat. Kris took this opportunity to study his companion—he had been too scared to look at anyone when he had first gotten on the bus—and found him to be very pretty for a man. He was pale and petite, with a mop of platinum blond hair falling over his eyes in thin wisps and a glossy, red-lipped mouth.

“You okay, man?” he asked softly. “That beggar seemed to have given you quite a scare.”

“I’m fine, thanks,” Kris replied with a shaky laugh. “It’s my first time in such a big city, so I’m not used to seeing such things. A bee flew in once, but that was years ago when I was in third grade.”

“Bees don’t even make it close to the hazard list here in LA.” Tommy grinned. “We’ve got muggers, murderers, rapists and a slew of other scary shit. As soon as our kids learn how to write their names, we send them off to preschool with bottles of pepper spray in their _Power Rangers_ backpacks.”

“…maybe it really was a bad idea for me to come here.”

“I was kidding, man,” his companion chuckled. “Sorry if I scared you; I have a habit of scaring people on a daily basis. Let’s start over, alright? I’m Tommy; Tommy Joe Ratliff.”

“Kris Allen,” Kris gripped his outstretched hand firmly. “I’m…well, a runaway from Arkansas.”

“And I thought I only saw that in movies,” Tommy whistled. “Got bored down south?”

Kris nodded. “You hit the nail right on the head. I’ve been living there for twenty-four years; the sameness of it all just got to me one day. I needed a change, you know?”

“I’m guessing you left Arkansas on a whim,” Tommy remarked. “You look like you ran off in a hurry with just the clothes on your back and that bag.”

“It’s written all over my face, isn’t it?” Kris sighed. “They say a face like mine holds no secrets. Heck, I even have trouble keeping my own.”

“We all have our faults,” Tommy shrugged. “Where are you headed off to, anyway? Don’t tell me you intend to slug it out on the streets for awhile until you have enough money to buy a place.”

“Oh, I have somewhere to stay.” Kris broke into a smile, relieved that there was at least one thing he had done right. “I got this awesome deal for a one-bedroom apartment at Met Lofts. Someone else is renting it out, but he’s in need of a roommate; he only needs me to contribute a third of our monthly expenses. He and I have emailed a few times to discuss the matter, and he seemed decent enough.”

“…this wouldn’t happen to concern a certain Adam Lambert, would it?” Tommy raised an eyebrow. “Room 517, one bedroom plus unit at one-third of the rent and miscellaneous expenses a month?”

“Yeah.” Kris frowned. “Wait, how did you know that?”

“I live in the same building, only on a different floor,” Tommy replied. “Also, Adam and I have been friends for…a long time now. I wasn’t expecting to run into his new roommate on a bus.”

Kris shrugged. “Well, it’s a small world, even for a city as large as LA. I’m kind of glad I ran into you; I would have ended up doing something stupid again if I hadn’t.”

“I’ll be glad to show you around,” Tommy assured him. “In fact, I’ll probably be accompanying you most of the time; Adam’s a bit of a closed-off person, you see. He’s not a terrible character, but he prefers to keep to himself. Don’t worry; you’ll understand everything a bit more once we get there.”

Kris nodded, feeling it was wise to stop making inquiries for the moment. There was probably a lot more he could get out of Tommy, but he still believed in the idea that experience was the best teacher. Lambert had seemed fairly approachable while they had been conducting their negotiations via email, but that had been the extent of Kris’ communication with him. Still, he had never been one to judge a person based on first impressions, so he would reserve his judgments for the days to come.

“Do you play?” Tommy suddenly asked, gesturing to the battered guitar case leaning against the seat.

“I do, yeah,” Kris admitted, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. “I’m not very good at it since I only taught myself how to play, but it’s my most favorite thing to do in the world.”

“That’s awesome.” Tommy broke into a happy grin. “I play a little myself, too; I’m really into blues music. We could jam together sometime, if you want to.”

“I’d like that.” Kris smiled back, feeling a sudden surge of warmth flood into his body. “I was hoping to find some music-related work here, actually. I wouldn’t mind working at a record store, but what I really want to do is perform at bars and diners every now and then. I’m not looking for a high paycheck; I just need to get up there and share my music with other people for my own peace of mind. But until that time comes, I think I can deal with waiting tables or making coffee.”

“We can ask around as soon as you’re settled in. I’ve played guitar for some indie bands before, so I’ve been here and there. I know a couple of people who would let you audition.”

“You don’t have to do this, man.” Kris flushed, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “You hardly know me, yet you’ve already done so much for me. Honestly, I don’t think I can ever repay you.”

“Kid, I like you.” Tommy winked at him. “You’re humble, quirky and genuine; I never meet people who carry such endearing characteristics anymore. Honestly, I often wake up in the morning with a sudden urge to drive a stake through someone’s heart. Some people are just rude whores.”

“That’s putting it bluntly.” Kris blinked. “I’m usually fine with people as long as they don’t mug me, grope me or try to kill me.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised at what else you might stumble across here,” Tommy remarked sagely. “In a city like LA, there are things far more frightening than the bedtime stories your parents used to tell you. Some of them make the feel of the barrel of a revolver against your skull look like child’s play.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Despite the amazing deal that the ad had offered on craigslist, Kris had been highly reluctant to accept Lambert’s rent proposal at first. For one thing, the Met Lofts was located in one of downtown LA’s busiest districts. Living close to the Staples Center, Nokia Theatre and other popular nighttime hot spots meant having to bid goodbye to the prospect of peace and quiet. Also, it seemed like a ritzy sort of area for modern-day artists given the odd electronic art exhibit and larger-than-life interior design scheme. Given the conservative upbringing he had, Kris had never really felt too comfortable being in gaudy, colorful places. Still, there was something about the Met Lofts interior that charmed him to a certain degree. It definitely did not give off Arkansas vibes in any way whatsoever, and that was more than enough for Kris.

“I’ll drop you off at Adam’s first,” Tommy said as they padded across the long hallway. “I live two floors up in room 721; feel free to drop by anytime you want to hang out. If it’s any of your concern—and I’m sure it is—I took the liberty of telling him that I met you on the bus and that I would be bringing you over this afternoon. He was supposed to meet you at the bus stop, yes?”

“Yes, and I completely forgot about that,” Kris mumbled. “I disposed of my old number on the way so people at home wouldn’t be able to reach me; I would have had to find a payphone to call him if I hadn’t sat down next to you on the bus.”

“Your life’s been hard enough, Kris,” Tommy said kindly, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I think the universe decided to take pity on you; that’s probably why I’m here. Anyway, here’s your new home. You don’t have to ring the doorbell because I stole Adam’s spare keys about half a year ago. I was getting tired of having to search through his pockets every time I had to drag his politically correct ass back home on the rare occasions that he actually felt like inhaling carbon dioxide from outside his sanctuary. I’ll have these copied for your convenience; having to wait for Adam to abandon his work to get to the door is bound to get on your nerves someday.”

Kris groaned. Thanks to Tommy’s crude way of putting things, his mental image of his new roommate was now that of a hostile, anti-social bum who lived with duct tape plastered all over his windows so the rays of the morning sun wouldn’t have to mock him when he woke up.

He wondered if he would at least be allowed to replace the duct tape with actual curtains.

“Hey, loser!” Tommy strode into the apartment like it was nobody’s business. “I have a present for you; don’t expect to see a pair of grey Yves St. Laurent calfskin boots, though. I will never buy them for you even if you grovel at my feet for the rest of your life.”

“Tut-tut. Mind your manners, Thomas,” a soft, calm voice responded. “You know how I feel about welcoming guests into my abode.”

Kris blinked. There was nothing remotely hobo about this apartment. It was tastefully elegant in terms of its interior, done entirely in black and ivory and littered with enough décor that probably cost a lot more than the meager contents of Kris’ backpack put together. He felt like he had stepped into the pages of one of his mother’s copies of Forbes Magazine.

Not surprisingly, the apartment spoke volumes of the man that owned it.

To put things simply, Adam Lambert was stunning. He was tall and well-built with a broad chest, and long legs that seemed to go on forever. His thick dark hair was artfully styled in a mass of unkempt spikes, which complimented the liner and glittery grey shadow rimming his bright blue eyes. Just like Tommy, his complexion was borderline snow white and his wide Cupid’s bow lips were swathed in what seemed to be some kind of gloss. He also seemed overdressed for what Kris felt like was supposed to be a day in; people who spent the day curled up on their couches with a cup of steaming coffee certainly did not bum around in tight denims, leather trench coats, combat boots and a multitude of silver jewelry.

“See?” Tommy broke the silence. “He already thinks you’re weird.”

“Have I ever been anything else but?” Lambert asked with a dismissive wave of his hand. “However, I am being quite rude by not greeting my guest. Kris, do forgive my sudden lack of manners.”

Kris inhaled sharply as Lambert cut the distance between them in three long strides, holding his hand out for Kris to shake. As if moving on autopilot, his hand rose to acknowledge the gesture, and Lambert gave it a firm squeeze, eyes never leaving Kris’.

“I am Adam,” he introduced himself. “I am sure you know that already, but it is always polite to reiterate when people are meeting for the very first time. It is good to meet you, Kris.”

“Uhm, likewise,” Kris managed to squeak, hating how his voice betrayed his nerves. “I’m just sort of at a loss for words right now; I’m afraid that if I speak, I’m going to sound really stupid.”

“No harm done,” Adam said kindly. “Come on; make yourself at home. My home may look a bit imposing, but I assure you that nothing here is going to bite your plump little bottom.”

“Au contraire,” Tommy smirked. “I’m outta here, Lambert; I’ve got things to take care of. Kris, mi casa es su casa; if Adam becomes too much of a handful, feel free to show up on my doorstep.”

“Thomas, please.” Adam’s tone was patient yet reprimanding. “I would like to speak to Kris alone. Also, you will not be able to complete the job I assigned you before sundown if you just stand here.”

“Okay, okay.” Tommy held his hands up in surrender. “Going now; don’t be such a pussy.”

“Language,” Adam reminded him. “This may be the twenty-first century, but I will always prefer the more courteous mannerisms from long ago. Now, off you go—return with good news, if you will.”

Kris could only watch in confusion as Tommy left the room, leaving him alone with his mysterious new roommate. Based on the way they had been conversing, Kris was half-convinced that both Adam and Tommy were members of some sort of syndicate group.

“You are scared.”

Kris nodded stiffly, acknowledging the casual observation. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as Adam moved closer, his presence heightening and overwhelming Kris’ senses.

“Everything you have just heard sounds unusual; I must admit,” Adam declared, pacing the room back and forth. “There is something I must tell you, though; you have an open invitation to leave if you wish.”

“…leave?” Kris croaked. “But I have nowhere to go.”

“I know.” Adam chuckled softly, his eyes sympathetic. “I am just being cautious here; you may end up preferring the streets to what I am about to tell you.”

“Tell me, then.” Kris inhaled sharply. “Tommy told me that there are some things in this city that are far worse than what humans are usually afraid of.”

“For some people, that may be the case,” Adam agreed. “I have been around members of your kind for as long as I can remember; they all react to fear in that insipid, ordinary way I could never really quite understand. Humans are the kings and queens of denial. Once they come across something that is not remotely normal, they clam up, whip out their pitchforks and go in for the kill. Things never change, Kris.”

“What are you driving at, Mister Lambert? I’m a little confused here.”

“Do you believe in vampires, Kristopher Allen?”

“…excuse me?” Kris blinked. “Was that a serious question?”

“Just answer me, Kris.” Adam’s tone was terrifyingly calm. “Do you believe in vampires?”

“I—of course not.” Kris shook his head. “They’re purely fictional; they don’t exist in the real world.”

“That is what they all say,” Adam said softly. “But you should not believe everything people tell you, Kris. What you see is not always what you get, and Mother Nature certainly made sure of that. I defied her laws, Kris; I continue to defy her by _existing_. If vampires did not exist, I would not be standing in front of you right now. We would not be having this conversation.”

“Are you telling me that you’re an honest-to-goodness _vampire_?” Kris asked, choking back an incredulous laugh. “I believe Halloween isn’t for another ten months—”

Adam was suddenly upon him, a cool weight pressing Kris’ body flat against the living room wall. His eyes had gone from blue to a dull black, eerily noticeable against the stark paleness of his skin.

Kris’ eyes, however, were locked onto his parted lips. A pair of razor-sharp canines stood out among the rest of his pearly whites, a testament to Adam’s otherwise crazy confession.

“Does this still look like a Halloween costume to you?” he breathed.

“…n-no,” Kris whimpered. “Not by any means…”

“I am glad.” Adam’s face shifted back. “I am sorry if I scared you; I could not think of any other way to get you to believe me.”

“…forgive me if I don’t know what to say right now.” Kris’ laugh was strangled. “It’s a little—no, it’s hell of a freaking lot—difficult for me to digest. I mean, I’m rooming with a _vampire_!”

“That you are.” Adam nodded sagely. “Which is why you have the option to leave if you wish; my door is always open to those I have invited, Kris.”

“I just—do you mind if I step outside for some fresh air?” Kris rubbed a palm over his face. “I need some time to…you know, think and try to make sense out of all this.”

“Be my guest.” Adam made a sweeping gesture towards the direction of the balcony. “Take as long as you like. Remember, not everything has to make sense, though. Sometimes, it is what is senseless that is most beautiful. I, for one, find unanswered questions absurdly fascinating.”

Kris ambled past him onto the balcony, releasing a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding in. He leaned against the railing, letting the colors and noises of LA wash over him like a mother comforting her newborn son. It was strange how calm he felt all of a sudden. He had been a small town boy living in a lonely world (he could quote Journey whenever he wanted to, okay?); it would only be logical for him to flip out, grab his bags and run for his life. However, a strange sort of serenity had flooded into him as soon as the initial shock had worn off—that was, by no means, a normal way to react to his situation. Rooming with a vampire was insane; wanting to room with one was borderline fucked.

Adam was right; senselessness was beautiful.

“…you’re watching me,” he said softly, very much aware of Adam’s presence behind him.

“I am awful when it comes to conceptualizing personal space.” Adam shrugged, coming up next to him, his back against the rail. “Contrary to popular belief, not all vampires abhor rainbows, puppies and candy. I have no idea what kind of stupid stories Tommy told you on the way here, but I am as nice as they go—at least, that’s what my fellow fanged ones think of me. I do not hurt humans unless I have to, and I do not drain them up without any good reason. I have not killed anyone in awhile, Kris.”

“You’re trying to convince me to stay, aren’t you?” The corners of Kris’ mouth quirked up in the beginnings of a smile. “Don’t deny it; you’re totally going in that direction.”

Adam ducked his head, shooting Kris a bashful smile. “Kind of, yes. I mean, you are still here, are you not? If you were anybody else, you would have hightailed out of here a long time ago.”

“…I don’t want to be just like anybody else, you know?” Kris sighed. “That’s exactly where I came from. I realized just how horrifying it felt to be generalized the moment my neighbors suggested that I take their daughter out to a dinner date because they found me nice and polite. I realized I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life as such a boring person. I don’t want to graduate with honors, marry some blond farm girl and raise two-point-five kids in a house with a white picket fence. I left my hometown to get away from that destiny; I think I can find myself here.”

“LA is the land of the free,” Adam declared. “It is the only place in America where a dead man can walk freely among the living. I have been here for over twenty years now; the people I associate with frequently know who I am. Of course, there are those who wish to stake me. There are also those who continuously refuse to believe me, but they do not really matter. The bottom line is this: you can assume whichever identity you please without much criticism here. The city is full of rodents, muggers and killers, but it is the safest place in the country for a vampire like me.”

“My invitation to stay still stands, right?”

“Please—stay as long as you would like. My doors are always open to those who seek them.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kris cringed as the Maserati (“Her name is Aurora; you know, after the princess in _Sleeping Beauty_?”) wove in and out of its lane for what seemed to be the fiftieth time. After their little conversation and a snack of leftover pizza on Kris’ part, Adam had suggested a visit to Club Mayan in hopes of showing Kris the LA scene and introducing him to some of his friends (“It is a grand menagerie; I associate with vampires and humans alike. Also, you will need people to protect you when I have my hands full with far more pressing matters.”); but at the rate they were going, Kris wasn’t even sure if he was going to make it there alive.

He was riding shotgun in a Maserati with an overly cheerful, bright-eyed vampire at the wheel; how was that even remotely safe?

“For someone so well-mannered and elegant, you sure know how to drive like someone’s grandma!” he hollered. “That jeep nearly tore your bumper off!”

“Is this not delightful?” Adam yelled over the loud music he had put on, eyes sparkling with mischief. “LA traffic is usually terrible; opportunities to behave like a devil on the freeway come rarely. Also, they never permit me to sit behind the wheel; Tommy likes to describe me as a driving hazard.”

“Well, he’s got you spot on.” Kris scowled. “Next time we go out, _I_ will be driving. Aside from my imminent death, the prospect of getting a ticket and having to pay a fine also gets me on edge.”

“Do away with the anger, sweetheart,” Adam teased. “You said you wanted excitement, right? I am not going to let anything happen to you; you are my Sookie.”

“Your _what_?” Kris arched an eyebrow.

“Sookie Stackhouse, the heroine of the TV series True Blood. She reminds me of you—pretty, Southern, headstrong and a little foolish.”

“I don’t know whether to blush because you called me pretty or hit you because I remind you of a girl,” Kris deadpanned. “That, and you think I’m foolish, too.”

Adam grinned. “You are the most adorable little bugger I have ever come across in this afterlife. I am intent on keeping you—no objections permitted.”

Unfortunately, Adam’s assumptions of a no-traffic night had been made in vain. There had been an accident towards the far end of the freeway, and it was going to take awhile for the cops to deal with the jam. The Mayan wasn’t far from their area of residence (Kris had wanted to take a cab, but Adam felt like taking Aurora out for a spin), but with the clogging and all, it would probably take them another thirty to forty-five minutes to get there.

“Can I ask you a few things?” he suddenly asked. “We’re going to be in each other’s hair for awhile, so I thought I’d get to know you a little better. If you don’t like playing twenty questions, I can always just sit here and…well, shut up.”

“Honey, you do not have to get awkward with me.” Adam assured him. “I am an open book; there is not much value in keeping secrets if you are not going to take any of them to the grave with you. Since we apparently have plenty of time to kill here, ask away.”

“Did you want to be a vampire?” Kris asked hesitantly. “It’s not that I’m disrespecting your kind or anything, but isn’t it difficult to live the way you do now?”

“When you are first turned, it is always difficult,” Adam admitted. “I was twenty-eight years old when I left my first life; I had been driving under the influence that night, and I ended up in a terrible accident along a skyway in Manhattan. Not one of my companions survived—some died on impact and others lost their lives upon arriving at the hospital. I myself was in critical condition; I had lost so much blood and the chances of me surviving were very slim. While everyone else had been scrambling around in search of blood donors, one particular doctor remained by my side. As soon as everyone was out of earshot, he bent over me and sank his fangs into my throat, draining me dry. When I felt like I was about to pass out, he told me to feed from him so I would live again.”

“How did it feel, waking up that way?”

“Terrible,” Adam said with a wry smile. “All my senses were on overdrive because the turning had heightened them. I felt lethargic and desperately ravenous, but it was a hunger I could not understand. That was when Tommy came in. He hooked me up with some AB negative—it has been my favorite ever since, although my preferences vary at times—and gave me a basic rundown of what had just happened. I was more than shellshocked; you know how blunt and straight-to-the-point Tommy is about everything.”

“Wait, so how did Tommy find you?” Kris frowned. “Was he in cahoots with the dude who turned you?”

“They were chewing off on opposite ends of the stick, actually. Tommy is a wandering rogue; he carries out the dirty work for the vampires who do not wish to get their hands filthy. Apparently, his client at that time had been after my Maker; Tommy just did what he had to do. If he had not been kind enough to lend a hand back then, I would not have survived the transformation process. Some newly-turned vampires do not even get past a fortnight without the guidance of an older, more experienced one.”

“So, Tommy is a vampire, then.” Kris nodded, committing the new bits of information to memory. “Does he work exclusively for you now or something? I remember you sent him on an errand.”

Adam chuckled. “Sort of, yes. But do not word the idea that way; Tommy resents the prospect of having to work for anyone. Technically, he keeps an eye out for me, but I allow him to go about his own business unless I have a task for him. Basically, we look after the LA vampires—keep a census, make sure there is enough blood going around for everyone, settle legal matters and slay the infidels. We are like a well-oiled machine, Tommy and I. I do the talking and he goes straight for the jugular. He cleans up well, too.”

“Wow.” Kris was genuinely amazed. “That’s…that’s pretty kickass, man. It’s like being the president of your republic; your job is way cooler than Obama’s, though.”

“Oh, honey, my job is a migraine catalyst at times.” Adam grinned. “I am not saying I do not find it to my satisfaction, but there are times when I wish I could just throw in the towel and go back to my old life. It is no longer an option at this point, though.”

“You’re still in touch with your human side,” Kris said earnestly. “As long as you can still feel stuff, I don’t think you’re going to be losing your shit anytime soon.”

“And here I was thinking I would not hear any curses coming from that pretty mouth. You surprise me, Kristopher. If there is one thing I love about mortals, it is that spicy element of surprise that comes with the package. Vampires—well, except for Tommy—can be quite predictable once you have gotten used to us. We all have an animal inside us; it takes over when we are angered.”

“I’m not allowed to say that you didn’t surprise me.” Kris chuckled. “Because you did.”

He felt a flush crawl down the back of his neck as Adam shot him a generous, boyish grin. He watched, mesmerized, as the traffic lights played on the vampire’s vulpine features, making him seem more ethereal and beautiful than he already was. Kris fought the urge to bottle that moment and keep it hidden in a secret place that only he could ever find.

They were, however, rudely interrupted by a honking sound from behind.

“Well, it seems that the unclogging has begun.” Adam observed. “We will talk more when we get home, I promise. Remember, I made a vow not to keep any secrets from you.”

“You did?”

“Well, not yet. But I can make it right now.”

“Good.” Kris nodded. “Because I have one more question, and it’s kind of weird.”

“Try me.” Adam smirked. “I have had to answer all sorts of odd questions over the years.”

“You’re dead, right? So, uhm, does your dick still work?”

“…please do not make me crash into the car in front of us.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kris had gone clubbing once or twice in his lifetime. Clubs in Conway pretty much sucked, and he’d only gone along with his friends because Charles had needed a wingman. He knew all about the members-only entry at most clubs, but they’d managed to get in by making a compromise with the bouncers. Charles laid on the sarcasm, Cale took care of the charm, and Kris…well, his instructions involved standing there and looking pretty. How they’d managed to get away with their terrible acting, he had no idea.

Getting in via the back entrance, however, was something he hadn’t done yet.

“Why are we going in through the back?” he asked Adam. “Aren’t you like, a superstar in this city or something? The bouncer seems to know you quite well.”

“Honey, we have to get you dressed,” Adam replied patiently as he fished out a ring of keys from his trench coat pocket. “Club Mayan is quite strict when it comes to attire—no flannels, khakis, overalls, sportswear, flip-flops, rubber shoes; you get the deal. Luckily, I am good friends with the club costumer; he will have a lot of lovely things for you to borrow for tonight.”

“I don’t think I like how that sounds, man.” Kris glared at him. “There’s no way you’re getting me into some skintight thing with…glitter and metal stuff all over it.”

Adam feigned innocence. “Babe, I do not even know what you are talking about. You have an amazing little body hidden underneath all that dreadfully baggy clothing; I refuse to let your assets go to waste.”

Kris mumbled something about having no assets, but nevertheless allowed Adam to sneak him into the rear entrance and up a flight of stairs to his immediate right. Adam purposefully strode down the narrow hall and began to rap loudly on the door at the end, reminding Kris of the angry old lady that used to live across the street from him until she broke her hip and croaked.

“What the fuck, Adam?”

The door swung open to reveal a tall, lanky man with tousled brown hair and attractive fey-like features. His words had been harsh, but there was a fond playfulness in his tone that immediately put Kris at ease.

“Clothes,” Adam replied curtly, gesturing for Kris to come forward. “You know very well he cannot enter the Mayan in this plaid monstrosity.”

“Hey!” Kris was miffed. “This is my favorite shirt, darn it.”

“Which would be perfectly fine if we were kicking back for a night in at the apartment,” Adam sighed. “Cassidy, this is Kris Allen. Kris, meet Cassidy Haley. He makes the costumes for the performers of Club Mayan. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, he is also vampire.”

“Yours?” Cassidy asked mildly, ushering them into his quarters.

“Yes, mine,” Adam confirmed. “He is my new companion.”

“It’s high time you found yourself a human, Lambert,” Cassidy chuckled softly. “And here I was beginning to think that you were serious when you said you didn’t give a damn if you had to live alone for all eternity. Have you sampled Kris’ delicacies yet?”

“Is he talking about sex?” Kris blinked. “Because if that’s what he meant by that, my answer is no. Adam hasn’t done as much as drag me here by the wrist.”

“Your mind’s often in the gutter, isn’t it?” Cassidy teased him, a smile hovering on his lips. “I like you already, young man. However, I wasn’t pertaining to sex when I brought up your delicacies—though you have a very nice behind—I was talking about your _blood_.”

“…my blood?” Kris stared. “Is Adam supposed to like, feed from me or something?”

“Cassidy, no,” Adam said sternly, shaking his head. “That matter should not be any of your concern, Kris. I have no intention of using you as my blood bank. Some vampires keep human companions around for that very purpose, but I am not one of them.”

“You’ve got to learn how to chill, darling,” Cassidy chided him, disappearing into a smaller room just off his living room apartment. “Kris, this way, please; I have a few things you might actually like. Adam, wait it out in the living room. I promise that I’m not going to send your precious one out there in clothes that will make him look like vampire bait.”

“Wow, you guys sure know how to turn him grumpy,” Kris observed; ogling the piles of shiny fabric scattered around the little room. “Tommy’s particularly good at pissing him off, too.”

Cassidy smirked. “It’s a harmless hobby we enjoy, just so Adam can get in touch with his feelings more often. He’s a bit of a clam, that man of yours. He’s fun to be with when he’s in good spirits, but I’m afraid he’s more in love with his desk job than anything else. Here, try this on; it’s nothing too showy.”

Kris studied the dark dress slacks and silvery grey button-down shirt Cassidy had handed over. Aside from the fact that they were a size smaller than what he usually got at Target and sometimes Wal-Mart (he had never been the world’s greatest fashionista), they looked wearable and decidedly non-threatening.

“Try on these dress shoes when you’re done, too,” Cassidy added. “I have them in all sizes, so it won’t be a problem for you. If you need help, do holler; I’ll leave you to your privy.”

Kris changed out of his old clothes and into the new ones that Cassidy had laid out for him. He felt a little self-conscious staring at his reflection in the mirror, as he had never worn anything this fancy or this tight. The pants made his butt look big; he wasn’t so sure on what to think of that.

“My butt looks huge,” he mumbled, stepping out of Cassidy’s walk-in closet.

“Mother of Dracula, look at you,” Adam chuckled, eyeing Kris appreciatively. “You should buy your clothes in that size more often; the baggy look simply does not do it for you.”

“It’s a little hard to move.” Kris frowned, wiggling a little. “I feel like a stuffed taco.”

“Goodness, he _is_ adorable,” Cassidy laughed. “Come on, we should get going. Brad is going to be dancing tonight, and I won’t hear the end of his whining if I allow myself to miss it.”

“Who’s Brad?” Kris asked Adam as they left the staff quarters.

“Cassidy’s human,” Adam explained. “I am sure you will be relieved to be in the company of someone of your species. He can be a bit of handful, but he will take care of you nonetheless.”

Club Mayan was unlike any other place that Kris had laid eyes on before. It was a Mecca of modern Mayan architecture with its distinctive temple-inspired atmosphere and two-level dancefloor. Well-dressed LA folk flocked about, chatting, dancing and sipping cocktails with friends. The place was teeming with life, and Kris felt an inexplicable pull draw him in.

“Charming, isn’t it?” Cassidy inquired, looking quite pleased. “Every Friday, we have what we refer to as the Soundmachine. Basically, people dance the night away to songs being played by whichever guest DJ management hires for the night.”

“I can see that,” Kris nodded. “The place is cool, though; I really like how it looks.”

“You’ll love it even more when you meet the people,” Cassidy assured him. “Come, I’ll introduce you to the members of our little family. Some are vampire and some are human, but you’ll like them; we are an interesting bunch, after all.”

Adam fell into step beside them and gave Kris’ shoulder a quick squeeze before waving to a small group of people by the bar. The ruggedly handsome russet-haired man tending the bar saluted Adam before making a come-on gesture with his hands, urging them to get settled.

“How is everything, Cook?” Adam inquired. “Has anything out of the ordinary occurred? I have not had the opportunity to stop by lately.”

“Same old, same old,” Cook replied easily. “Which is obviously good news, but boring nonetheless. Everyone seems to enjoy holing up in their nests nowadays.”

“Well, I come bearing a gift of novelty.” Adam smiled. “Cook, meet my human.”

Kris flinched a little under Cook’s scrutiny. Judging by his weighted gaze and unnaturally bright eyes, Kris could already tell that the man was vampire.

“You learn fast,” Cook smirked. “Adam should teach you how to close your mind off around members of our kind, though; it’s never wise to share your thoughts to just anyone. But all that bullshit aside, allow me to introduce myself. I’m David Cook, head bartender of Club Mayan.”

“He is also a Daywalker,” Adam added. “It means that he can move about freely during the daytime just like any ordinary human. As far as I know, there are very few vampires who possess such abilities—Cook, Tommy and I are among them.”

“Where is Tommy, anyway?” Kris asked. “Did you, erm, sic him on someone tonight?”

“Oh goodness, no,” Adam laughed. “I just sent him out to do the rounds tonight. There are certain groups of vampires that require frequent monitoring. Because of them, humans tend to second-guess their peace treaty with us from time to time. Thankfully, vampires are well-aware of the consequences that disobeying my rules entail; Tommy had to burn one of the troublemakers in public to prove my point.”

“Ouch,” Kris grimaced. “And this happened how long ago?”

“About four years back,” Cassidy replied. “The infidel lost control and drained a human dry. We don’t restrict ourselves from feeding on humans, but we certainly don’t want to kill anybody. You know very well how humans react to murders; they tuck their heads under their wings and head for the hills. This death caused a lot of grief and animosity among the humans; we were under some sort of siege for awhile. In order to settle the dispute, Adam had to call for a very public execution. That finally shut everyone up for good. Nowadays, we’re pretty much considered one of the family by most humans.”

“By the way, where is little David?” Adam turned back to Cook. “I have not seen him lately.”

“He’s still at school,” Cook replied. “But he said he would drop by your place tomorrow afternoon. He misses you, Adam; a boy can’t keep himself away from his father for too long.”

“Mister, you did not tell me that you had a kid.” Kris poked Adam. “I know you’re a vampire and all, but aren’t you too young to have one? Not to mention you don’t seem like you want one.”

Adam smiled. “David Archuleta is my Progeny, Kris. I made him, so I am technically his father. Although we are not bound by a typical father-son relationship, we are bound by the mingling of our blood and the special bond that only a Maker and his Progeny have. He is a sweetheart; you will adore him.”

“No one adores Arch more than I do, though.” Cook smirked. “He is my Mate, after all.”

Kris shook his head. “Your culture is…an interesting thing. I’m sorry if I won’t be able to keep up for some of the time; the information is a lot to digest.”

“Oh, you’ll get used to it, petal. I did.”

Kris blinked owlishly at the newcomer. He was a petite, bright-eyed brunette with high cheekbones and a mischievous grin. He was also scantily-clad and covered in what looked like body glitter.

“Hey, baby,” Cassidy murmured softly, drawing the newcomer into his arms. “You’ll be pleased to know that I brought a few friends to see your performance. You remember Adam, I’m sure. This sweet little thing is his human, Kris Allen. Kris, meet Brad Bell, my lover.”

“You’re so precious!” Brad cooed, pulling Kris in for a hug. “And warm, too. It feels nice to hug someone with a beating heart once in awhile; no offense to you pretty fanged ones.”

“None taken.” Cook grinned. “We all know how cold we are—and fuck, that was a bad pun right there.”

“Bad puns aside, I’m glad some other vamp in this circle decided to find a human companion,” Brad said dramatically. “Adam Lambert, expect a basket full of complimentary AB negative blood bags on your doorstep when my next paycheck comes in.”

“No thanks necessary, Bradley,” Adam laughed. “I think the grateful expression on Kris’ face is enough. It is always a delight to be around someone of your own kind.”

“Just so you know, I’m still trying to get my facts straight,” Kris admitted, accepting a bottle of beer from Cook. “Thanks, man; I kind of need this right now.”

“Ain’t nothing like a bottle of ice cold beer to get your gears turning.” Cook cocked his head. “I’ve been working behind a bar all my life; I’m obviously doing it in my afterlife all the same. The only precautionary measure I have to take is not to step into the bar where I was almost murdered—though that was in my hometown of Missouri, so I don’t have much to worry about.”

“He was in a bar brawl,” Brad chirped. “Cook likes to get all macho and stuff, so he got into a lot of trouble back in the day. Luckily, the bar owner happened to be a vampire who felt like saving Cook’s life, so he turned him. Which reminds me, whatever happened to your Maker, Cook?”

Cook grinned. “You’d be surprised. Foraker married my mother. They didn’t have a giant church wedding given the circumstances, but it was endearing all the same. I did not see that coming, trust me.”

“I take it they prefer not to discuss the consequences,” Adam said quietly. “Although in this case, I can only issue advice; Missouri and its vampires are not directly under my care.”

“They seem to be doing fine despite all the strings attached,” Cook replied. “Living for the moment seems to suit them for now. If they’re happy, then who am I to interfere?”

“This is part of Adam’s job description.” Cassidy slung an arm around Kris’ shoulder. “He’s always willing to hear out any issues or problems that the vamps in this area are dealing with. In _True Blood_ terminology, he’s sort of like the sheriff of this city. The difference is that he chose to do this of his own free will. Humans have learned to co-exist with vampires because of all the hard work he’s put into his job.”

“I have had help, of course,” Adam insisted. “Without you and the rest of our friends, I would not have succeeded in my endeavors to better vampire-human relations.”

“You’re being too modest again, you oaf,” Brad snorted. “You’re headlining all of this; no one else can make things work the way you do. Sure, you hate it when a dust bunny lands on your suit jacket or when there’s a suspicious-looking stain on your jeans, but your head and your heart are in the right place. People would be in chaos without you around, Adam—not to mention I would have never met Cassidy.”

“Alright, Bradley.” Adam held his hands up, smiling. “I get your point; thank you very much for rubbing it in my face like you usually do.”

“It’s what I’m good at,” Brad said smugly. “For a bunch of immortals with super cool powers, you guys are quite skilled at underestimating yourselves.”

“Trust me; walking the earth for decades doesn’t do much to boost one’s ego.” Cook rolled his eyes. “Now, let’s skip the politics and get to the partying. Who wants a gin tonic?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 _Kris shivered as the cold air licked at his skin. It was odd; he remembered turning up the heater before he had practically burrowed himself into Adam’s sofa for a good night’s sleep. If Adam had turned it down again—which Kris was positive he did—he was going to have to strangle the man. Sighing, he sat up and groped for his glasses on the coffee table. There was no way in hell he was going to catch a cold just so Adam could change the dynamics of scientifically-proven room temperature._

 _“Where are you going, Kris?”_

 _A large hand planted itself on his bare chest and gently pushed him back down. Kris blinked as a very naked Adam swam into view above him, blue eyes warm and sleepy._

 _“…Adam?” Kris stared. “What am I doing in your bed? And why are we naked?”_

 _“Do not tell me you have forgotten, my darling.” Adam chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to the skin over Kris’ rapidly beating heart. “You crawled into this bed looking sinfully delightful with no clothes on. I can never resist the temptation that you are, Kristopher.”_

 _“Oh god, I must have been drunk,” Kris moaned. “I am so sorry, Adam; I hope I didn’t vomit all over the living room or something.”_

 _“Darling, what is this silliness that you speak of?” Adam asked; eyes alight with amusement. “You must have forgotten the activities we engaged in last night. Allow me to refresh your memory.”_

 _Kris gasped as Adam pulled the covers off, exposing his naked body. The gentleness in the vampire’s eyes had melted away, lust burning in its place. Adam bared his fangs and swiftly buried them into the flesh of Kris’ thigh. A throaty moan escaped Kris’ throat as he succumbed to the ungodly mix of pleasure and pain that coursed through his body as Adam drank his fill._

 _“You taste delicious, Kristopher,” Adam hissed, lapping at the blood leaking from the puncture wounds. “I have always favored your taste over that of any other human.”_

 _“I--I’m not an AB negative, though,” Kris whimpered, calling to mind Adam’s favorite blood type._

 _“It does not matter,” Adam said softly, kissing along his thighs before spreading them. “You are Kris; you are my human. That means you are special to me in ways that only I understand.”_

 _Kris arched his back as Adam’s fingers slid in between his ass cheeks, pressing lightly against his hole. It was odd how normal everything felt for him._

 _It was almost as if he had done all this before._

 _“You are still fresh from our earlier lovemaking,” Adam murmured approvingly, adjusting so the tip of his cock rubbed against Kris’ hole. “I can enter you without much of a fuss.”_

 _“Please, Adam,” Kris begged him. “I want you inside me so badly…!”_

 _“As you wish; my dear one.”_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Breakfast had never been so difficult for Kris to handle. Earlier that day, he had woken from an erotic dream involving Adam, which was honestly the most embarrassing thing that could ever happen on his first night in a new home—Adam’s home, to be exact. As soon as he had regained his bearings, he had jumped into the bath for a cold shower and immediately busied himself with breakfast preparations afterward, careful not to cook anything remotely phallic.

“A pleasant morning, Sookie,” Adam greeted him, sauntering into the kitchen area in nothing but a pair of silky leopard-print pajamas. “I take it you slept well last night?”

Kris wanted to groan. Adam obviously had no idea—and he intended to keep him uninformed. Hopefully, the vampire would be too sleepy to attempt to read his mind. There were seven out of ten chances that Adam would just laugh it off, but Kris wasn’t willing to take any risks.

“Yeah, I guess I did,” he said lightly. “It’s the first time in awhile that I’ve slept without having to wake up at seven just to make it to my eight AM class.”

“You do look a little more relaxed this morning,” Adam observed, pulling a bag of O negative from the refrigerator. “I hope I did not scare you by bringing you to the Mayan last night; I know my friends are quite difficult to get used to.”

“Oh, no,” Kris assured him. “It was a big help, actually; I understand you a little more now. Also, I can tell they’re good folk. Nobody seemed like they wanted to eat me.”

“No one will,” Adam said simply. “Because you are mine.”

Kris flushed at the idea, quickly ducking his head and busying himself with setting the table as so not to give anything else away. He could put the blame on the stupid sex dreams. It wasn’t entirely his fault that he had dreamt of being pinned to the mattress by a handsome vampire.

“Had I been alive, I would be salivating over that right now,” Adam said wistfully, eyeing Kris’ pancakes longingly. “My olfactory senses no longer respond that well to human food, but they recognize the aromas nonetheless. I used to love pancakes back in the day, but I would never eat too much because I was paranoid about weight gain.”

Kris stared at him in disbelief. “You have nothing to be paranoid about, man. You look perfectly fine the way you are; most guys I know would kill to look like you.”

“You have an odd way of throwing compliments around, do you know that?”

“Don’t tell me you’re not used to them,” Kris teased him. “There’s just something about you vamps that kinda makes humans go weak in the knees. I’m sure you guys looked just as good when you were alive, but there’s something about being undead that gives you a different kind of aura.”

“So, are you saying that I make you weak in the knees?” Adam smiled coyly. “Because that, my dear Kristopher, is a compliment that goes straight to my cold, dead heart.”

“Shut up!” Kris squeaked, feeling his face heat up. “I may have complimented you by saying you look good, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to like, marry you or something.”

“Relax; I was merely humoring you.” Adam smirked. “I love how easily riled up you get. You are just so full of life and energy—you make a good companion, Kris.”

“You really think so?” Kris asked shyly. “I’ve never been much of anything, really.”

“That is where I must correct you.” Adam reached out to take Kris’ hand in both of his, allowing his eyelids to flutter shut. “I feel a strong connection with you. Every time I brush my fingers over your pulse point, I feel like I am alive again. I can feel the rush of your blood and the pounding of your heart as if we were inhabiting the same body.”

Kris bit back the moan threatening to escape his lips. Adam was cold to the touch, but his body felt like it was on fire. Everything about Adam exuded sensuality. Kris had never considered the thought of being attracted to men before even though he had grown up around some of the finest and most handsome ones the south had to offer.

Then again, none of them had been Adam Lambert.

“If you concentrate hard enough, you might be able to feel me in you as well,” Adam said softly. “Invite me in, Kris; allow me to crawl under your skin.”

The vampire’s eyes flew open, baby blues holding Kris captive as he continued to run his fingertips over Kris’ pulse point. Kris whimpered, succumbing to the sensation of being overly stimulated. It was as if Adam was inside him and around him, destroying his old self and creating a new Kris from the ashes.

“How do you feel?” Adam released Kris’ hand. “That was a minor demonstration of my powers, although I believe you play quite a big part in this. I have used that ability on quite a number of people in my life—it works like a subtle version of mind control—but its effects have never been this powerful.”

“Is it because I’m your human?” Kris asked dazedly.

Adam nodded. “That would be the most accurate theory. Cassidy and Brad have a similar connection. I have never had a human companion before, so I am not too sure about the dynamics of this relationship. We can always ask them for advice. By the way, is dinner at Club Mayan tonight alright with you? Tommy wants to meet me there to report the results of last night’s excursion.”

“No problem,” Kris replied. “Although I’d like to run some errands of my own today, if that’s fine with you. Brad said he’d help me pick up a few things and find a temporary day job.”

“Are you sure you do not want to work as a dancer at the Mayan?” Adam winked.

“What, and have all sorts of weird people touch my bare skin?” Kris wrinkled his nose. “I don’t think I’d have much fun doing that. Besides, you might get pissed and rip their limbs off because, ‘Kris is mine’, or something like that.”

“I would say that,” Adam remarked thoughtfully. “I am not a fan of violence, but I would readily kill anybody who tries to hurt you.”

“You lot sure make strange boyfriends,” Kris remarked offhandedly.

“…you do realize what you just said, right?” Adam cocked his head. “And it may or may not be the correct thing to say because I am quite interested in you.”

Kris hid his face in his hands, and threw a pancake at Adam.

It was time to kiss foolish wishes for a peaceful breakfast goodbye.


	2. Blood and Gold

_“Tie your heart at night to mine, love,  
and both will defeat the darkness  
like twin drums beating in the forest  
against the heavy wall of wet leaves.  
Night crossing: black coal of dream  
that cuts the thread of earthly orbs  
with the punctuality of a headlong train  
that pulls cold stone and shadow endlessly.  
Love, because of it, tie me to a purer movement,   
to the grip on life that beats in your breast,   
with the wings of a submerged swan,   
So that our dream might reply  
to the sky's questioning stars  
with one key, one door closed to shadow.”_

\- Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973)

 

Kris was surprised at how easy it had been to adjust to his new, exciting vampire-filled life. As soon as he had learned to get around the fact that his new friends were capable of reading his mindamong other strange powerseverything else had been normal. More or less. He spent his days working at a coffee shop owned by one of Adam’s friends, hanging out with Brad and Alisan, and helping Adam’s precious Progeny David Archuleta with things as mundane as homework. His nights, however, were spent in the company of Adam Lambert. If there was an ongoing investigation or an issue to resolve, Tommy would be around as well. Kris had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on Adam, who became quite temperamental under stress. On less strenuous nights, they took long walks around the city, and Adam revealed a little more about himself each time. Kris had enough stories to fill a memoir now, but he enjoyed listening to them all the same. This kind of living had bred a sense of contentment in Kris’ heart, and he was perfectly happy with the way things were going.

The dreams, however, had remained. All Kris could really do about it at this point was to force them out of his head by keeping busy.

“Hey, Scarlett.” he pressed an affectionate kiss to the cheek of his boss’ wife. “Sorry for clocking in late; Adam was so cranky this morning. The microwave’s busted, so he had to take his B negative cold. I had to drop him off at the mall to pick up a new one on my way here.”

“Not a problem, honey.” Scarlett ruffled his hair. “Adam may be the nicest man in the world, but no vampire likes his blood cold. You’ve come with your brownies, so you’re definitely forgiven.”

Kris gave her a quick hug before running out front to slide the first tray into the display case. Scarlett Cherry was the kind of woman he would have loved to have as his fairy godmother. She was a quirky but caring character that bustled around the coffee shop in a blur of color, a hostess well-loved by the customers due to her ability to engage people in animated conversation. When Adam had introduced them a few days ago, she had taken to Kris immediately, pronouncing him ‘positively divine’ and ‘seriously darling’. Later into the conversation, he had accidentally let slip that baking was one of his favorite past times. He had ended up leaving Club Mayan that night with a new job, and the drying residue of red lipstick on his cheek, care of Scarlett.

“Hold it, Allen!” a petite brunette chirped, reaching around Kris to sneak a brownie out of the tray. “From now on, I forbid you from strolling into this shop without feeding me first. You know very well that your brownies and I are going to get married someday; they’re the best fucking things in this world.”

“Better than Matt?” Kris asked cheekily.

“Babe, I would choose your brownies over my boyfriend any day.” Alisan Porter cuffed him on the shoulder. “He said he wouldn’t mind being in a polyamorous relationship with anything that comes popping out of your kitchen.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Kris laughed, tying his apron around his waist. “So, what can I help out with today? I heard Allison called in sick this morning.”

“You, Danielle and I will be working the floor,” Alisan replied. “Megan’s on cashier, as usual.”

“I can call Archie to help out if we’re still going to be understaffed by the late afternoon,” Kris offered. “His classes end at three today, so he can probably swing by at four.”

“Praise Elvis for Daywalkers,” Alisan sighed. “They can be such a blessing; it’s a shame there isn’t more of them. Oh, that reminds me; Tommy is waiting for you at his usual table. Don’t linger too long, okay? Dani and I can’t take on all of these tables by ourselves.”

“Copy.” Kris saluted her. “By the way, you should check the refrigerator; I made half a pan of brownies just for you, so you can munch on that to ease the stress. Just make sure to replace the square you snatched off the store display tray.”

“Kris Allen, you are welcome to my first born.” Alisan sounded almost reverent. “I am never going to eat anyone else’s brownies ever again, you hear me? Never.”

Kris made his way to a table in the back area where Tommy was nursing a glass of champagne, looking uncharacteristically peaceful for a vampire who spent his time punishing infidels. He nodded a greeting at Kris, motioning for the latter to occupy the seat across him.

“You look awfully happy today,” Kris remarked. “I take it your job went well last night?”

Tommy smirked. “Oh man, you have no fucking idea. I’m sure you remember Adam sending me off to track down the vampire who kept virgin girls in his basement for purposes I don’t even want to think about, right? Well, I found the guy last night thanks to a lead I picked up from one of ‘em nutty churchgoers. It’s a tame task compared to the rest I’ve had to take on in this lifetime, but the so-called fanger’s identity made all the time and effort I spent on this case worth the while. That’s right; the criminal isn’t a vampire. He’s _human_ , Kris—and a fucking preacher, too.”

Kris shook his head. “You have got to be kidding me. Weren’t there puncture marks on the first two victims’ necks?”

“Apparently, this fucker is under contract with some vampire in the city. His wife is on her deathbed, so he asked the fanger to turn her when the time comes. In exchange, he kidnapped all those poor girls in order to appease her. Both the preacher and his vamp are currently locked in the underground dungeons. With Big Daddy keeping an eye on them, there’s no way they can escape. Adam and I are going to do some grilling tonight; he’s not going to be very pleased when he hears about this. I’m telling you way in advance so you can calm him down in case he feels like staking the bitch before we get any answers.”

Kris sighed. “Knowing Adam, he may end up blowing a hole in the wall like what he did last time. I’ll head down with you tonight if it’ll help.”

“It will,” Tommy said sagely. “He won’t be able to stop himself from wrecking a chair or two, but I think having you around will help decrease the damage.”

“As long as you guys will have less damage repair to pay for, I’m glad to be of service,” Kris replied with a wry smile. “Poor Adam; he doesn’t deserve this. He’s been nothing but kind to us humans. It makes me sick to realize that some people are hell bent on pissing him off just so they can start another war.”

Tommy scowled. “There’s nothing we can really do about it. The fact that I don’t burn to a crisp in broad daylight is already enough reason for people to resent me; it’s like a new breed of discrimination altogether. No matter how ‘safe’ this city is for us, shit hits the fan the moment something out of the ordinary happens. People here are far more accepting than your typical conservative American, but trouble is a universal concept—even the most open-minded human being would lock himself in a makeshift bomb shelter at the very first sign of war.”

“Well, we can’t make everybody happy,” Kris sighed. “I’d bake you brownies as a pick-me-up, but I doubt you would enjoy them very much.”

“If I were human, you know I would.”

“…do you miss it?” Kris asked softly.

Tommy’s expression hardened, making him look older and far more menacing than his normally impassive face allowed him to be. Kris sensed the slow mix of anger and nostalgia course through the vampire’s cold blood, and clutched Tommy’s hand between both of his, squeezing lightly.

“I can feel you, you know? The sensations aren’t as strong compared to how they are with Adam, but I feel you nonetheless. Just from holding your hand, I can tell that your mortal life didn’t hold many good memories for you. I know I’m not in a position to say anything, but there’s no need for you to think about the bad things too much. You seem to be perfectly fine with the way you’re living now, so I think you can ease the pain that was brought upon by your past by creating happy memories with your present.”

“You really are something, Kris Allen,” Tommy said as he shook his head, smiling. “No wonder Adam has grown to be so fond of you—God knows that man needs a dyed-in-the-wool optimist to balance his oftentimes jaded way of seeing things.”

“Seriously, man.” Kris ducked his head, self-consciously rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m nothing great; I’m just pretty keen on people’s feelings.”

“…if we had met when I was still human, you would have probably been the one thing I would have missed most from my mortal life. Once you get turned, you can’t just go back to the family and friends you had when you were still alive. I learned that the hard way a long, long time ago.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Apart from Tommy’s visit, nothing else about Kris’ afternoon had been remotely interesting. As soon as his shift had ended, he’d changed out of his work uniform and left for the dungeons with Monte Pittman, one of the very few humans Adam trusted with his life. Kris had met him a few days ago when he’d stopped by the coffee shop to talk to Lee. It surprised Kris a little to know that such a talented, easygoing, family-oriented man had gotten himself mixed up in the affairs of the city vampires. When he’d questioned Monte’s involvement, the latter merely said that he owed Adam. He had not elaborated, and Kris had not questioned him any further.

“Are you coming down with me?” Kris asked, half-turning to look Monte in the eye.

Monte shook his head. “It’s not my place, Kris. I’ve been there once before, and I don’t think I’ll be coming back any time soon. It’s not that I think Adam and Tommy are cruel but as a human, there’s only so much of this that I can take. Adam knows my limits; I’m not going to be rushing in where blood is going to be spilled. I have a wife and children to look after.”

“You’re a good man, Mister Pittman,” Kris said softly. “I can see why Adam trusts you implicitly. Anyway, I don’t want to keep you; I’ll go on ahead.”

“Watch your back, Kris.” Monte squeezed his shoulder. “I’d tell you to steer clear of danger, but that is a wish only a fool would make. Danger hangs over you; stay close to Adam.”

Kris merely nodded, afraid of the words that could start flying out of his mouth if he decided to open it. Almost mechanically, he turned his back on Monte and began descending the steps that led to the dungeons, half-dreading and half-anticipating of what he would see upon his arrival.

“Kris.”

Adam stepped forth from the shadows, looking tense. Sensing his distress, Kris pressed close to him, burying his face into the juncture where Adam’s collarbone met his shoulder, inhaling his rich, musky scent.

“What happened?” he asked softly. “You’re not usually this anxious.”

“Kris, there is something I need you to see,” Adam replied. “And you may react adversely.”

“Adam, you’ve had me for almost over a week now.” Kris reached out to touch his face. “I’ve seen some of what your world has to offer; I can live with what comes with it.”

Adam said nothing. Instead, he led Kris into the conference room, where Tommy was seated across a tall, well-built man with a crown of dark brown hair. As soon as Kris had gotten a better look at the stranger, he froze in his tracks, unwilling to believe what—or _whom_ , rather—he had just seen with his very own eyes.

“…Cale?”

“Hello, Kris,” his old friend said quietly. “I’m so sorry we had to meet again under such circumstances.”

“But you were in Conway!” Kris exclaimed, raking his hands through his hair. “You were just there when I left—at least, that’s the most logical assumption I can come up with.”

“Think carefully,” Cale Mills advised. “When was the last time you actually saw me, Kris?”

“…about three or four weeks prior to today. Come to think of it, you weren’t showing up in class for almost a week. What the heck is going on, man?”

He allowed Adam to help him sit, feeling nauseous all of a sudden. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. The world he had chosen and the world he had left behind weren’t supposed to cross paths. Kris allowed himself to drown into the depths of Cale’s dark brown eyes, trying to assess the emotions hidden beneath the benevolent gaze he had never seen Cale wear before. His skin was paler than Kris remembered it to be, and there were dark rings around his eyes. He looked a little worse for wear, but in some ways, he looked better than he ever did.

“…you’re vampire,” Kris whispered, gripping the edge of the table to keep himself from keeling over.

“I am,” Cale acknowledged the statement with a nod of his head.

“You should explain,” Tommy said quietly. “He deserves to know everything.”

Cale seemed contemplative. “Alright. It happened two weeks before you left, Kris; LA may be vampire central, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have any of our own in Conway. We have our fair share of the undead in Arkansas, but they keep themselves well-hidden. Remember the rave party you skipped out on because you had a chemistry test the next day? Well, you should give yourself a pat on the back; that saved you from a whole lot of grief. Some of the vamps had dropped in to join the party, but that was fine with us since they’ve never done anything to harm us, anyway. Things were going fine until some blond Raggedy Ann vampire crashed in and tried to stake Torres. A major fight broke out, shit hit the fan, and people started crumpling to the floor like ragdolls. I almost got Raggedy Ann, but she fucking drained me and left me for dead. If Torres hadn’t turned me, I wouldn’t be here now.”

“I know the fanged folk from Conway; Chris Torres isn’t the cruelest of the cruel,” Tommy interjected. “Although they aren’t as aristocratic as Adam here, they do have a sense of compassion. I’m guessing you were under orders from Torres to find this infidel.”

Cale nodded. “One of his informants from this region told me that our criminal was here. As a gesture of gratitude for saving my life, I offered my services to Torres. I promised that I would get rid of her by any means necessary.”

“You should have fed first, though,” Tommy said sternly. “If I hadn’t found you in the alleyway while I was doing my rounds, you would have been instant prey for the rogues or the fangbangers obsessed with the blood that runs through our veins.”

“Excellent work, Tommy,” Adam praised him. “However, there is another part of the story that Kris must know. Mister Mills, if you would be so kind as to continue…?”

“I got a good look at Raggedy Ann’s face when she attacked me in Conway.” Cale turned back to Kris. “Her identity came upon us as a shock. No one in their right minds would expect one of the vampire-hating O’Connell girls to be wearing a fang face.”

“…which one of them was it, Cale?” Kris asked tensely.

“I think we should let her answer that,” Tommy remarked. “Big Daddy, if you please. Come to think of it, you should drag the preacher along, too.”

The large, burly vampire Adam had appointed as the warden of his prison disappeared into the back. It didn’t take long for him to emerge once more; this time, he had a defiant-looking blond girl in tow. Her hair was tangled and matted, her clothes were torn and covered in bloodstains, and her eyes had a wild look about them that Kris had yet to see on any other vampire. Trailing behind the duo was a bespectacled man in a black cassock, trembling fingers clutching his rosary like a talisman.

Kris stared at her, his mouth agape. “Katy O’Connell,” he breathed. “I don’t understand; you hate vampires.”

O’Connell laughed harshly. “That’s because they’re fucking crazy, Kristopher. One of Torres’ old cronies did this to me; I’m actually much older than you can possibly imagine. God, I should be cursing you to the ground right now, Allen. If you had actually agreed to go out on a date with me that time, I would have drank all your blood by now—or maybe I would have made you my own; you aren’t bad-looking at all.”

“…someone was feeding you human blood?” Cale was incredulous. “No matter where in the world you are, voluntarily feeding on a human’s blood is against vampire protocols.”

“You’re delusional just like the rest of them!” O’Connell screeched. “You’re doing Torres’ bidding because you’re his fucking lapdog! He wants you to kill me for breaking his fucking rules, doesn’t he? This is why you followed me all the way here! I should have killed you in Conway!”

“That may very well be the biggest mistake you could ever make,” Cale said quietly. “You may be older than I am, but I have partaken of Tommy’s blood; you will not stand a chance even if you still have the strength to fight back. However, your fate is no longer mine to be determined. Mister Lambert is in charge of this area; I’m sure Torres would agree that it is his right to make the decision.”

“Even if you are not directly subordinate to me in terms of locale, I will have to issue your punishment, Miss O’Connell.” Adam was eerily calm. “You have committed a rather grave crime along with Reverend Gokey here in my city; I cannot allow that to go unnoticed. You have taken the lives of several innocent young women in order to satisfy your hunger—and as a form of payment from Reverend Gokey, even. I am extremely disappointed in your lack of ethics, Miss O’Connell.”

“You’re one annoying fucker, aren’t you?” O’Connell spat at him. “You cling to your so-called morals because you have nothing else to live for! This is what I hate about your existence, you goddamn fanger! You think so highly of yourselves, but in the end, you’re nothing but a walking carcass!”

“No one’s allowed to speak to Mister Lambert that way, you bitch!” Big Daddy scowled, tightening his grip on her wrists. “You’d better apologize if you know what’s good for you.”

“There is no need to use violence, Big Daddy,” Adam assured him. “I want us all to go home and get some sleep tonight. I prefer that we decide on Miss O’Connell and Reverend Gokey’s fate in the morning.”

“You’re such a prissy little coward!” O’Connell taunted him. “I’ve heard people talk about you, Lambert; you hate getting blood on your hands—this is why you let that blond hick do all the work for you, isn’t it? You’re so fucking full of yourself; you outright refuse to kill anyone because you’re afraid that it’ll tarnish your so-called good reputation.”

“Katy, please.” Kris found his voice, struggling with his words. “Just…stop it. What you did was wrong; you have no right to keep blaming Adam for a crime that you’ve committed.”

“…oh my god!” O’Connell shrieked gleefully. “You’re his fangbanger, aren’t you? You let him fuck you and drink your blood because you’re his dirty little who—”

Kris gasped as Adam leapt from his seat, effectively pinning O’Connell to the wall by her throat. Adam’s posture was rigid, and his eyes blazed with fury. Kris could feel the vampire’s pent-up rage building up inside him, threatening to spill out and consume him wholly. He had never seen Adam this angry before; it was highly uncharacteristic of him to behave in such a way. Beside him, Big Daddy remained impassive. Cale looked like he wanted to intervene, but Tommy’s hand on his forearms stopped him. Reverend Gokey, however, was a pitiful sight. He had crumpled to the floor in fear, whispering prayers and invocations to the Blessed Mother to save his soul from damnation.

“Do not drag Kris into your messes, Miss O’Connell,” he ordered coldly. “Who he chooses to associate with is none of your business.”

O’Connell smirked. “He’s made himself into a little sinner, hasn’t he? Whoring himself out to your kind like a vial of human blood, all ripe for the taking. Tell me, has he let Ratliff fuck him, too? I bet he spreads his legs for all of you because it makes him feel like a free man.”

“Enough of your nonsense!” Adam growled. “Speak no more, and I will be merciful.”

“Oh, but I enjoy seeing you all riled up and furious for once,” O’Connell looked elated. “Had I known that a simple jab at your beloved pet would get you all fired up, I would have kept it up from the very beginning. I regret not sinking my fangs into him for a taste when I had the chance; I’m sure he tastes delicious. Now that I can smell you, I can tell that you haven’t partaken of him just yet. How would you feel if someone beat you to the main course, hmm? He would no longer be yours.”

“That will never happen; Kris is _mine_.”

“Your orders, sir?” Tommy asked calmly.

“…stake her,” Adam said coldly, knocking O’Connell to the stone floor. “Wipe the preacher’s memories; he was never here and none of this ever happened.”

An ugly laugh tore its way out of O’Connell’s throat. Kris stared at her in horror as she laughed and laughed, not at all frightened at the sight of Tommy sharpening a stake he had retrieved from his arsenal.

“I finally got you to crack, Lambert!” she croaked. “You will be the sinless one no more! This is just the beginning of the chaos that is about to befall you; when the time comes, he will strike you down.”

“Save it for the gods, O’Connell,” Tommy said harshly. “Your time here is up.”

As Adam turned away from the scene, Kris ambled towards him, hands reaching out blindly, overcome with a sudden rush of dizziness coupled with the desire to simply touch. Adam folded him into an embrace, tucking Kris tightly against his strong, hard body. Kris released a breath he didn’t even know he had been holding in; what mattered was that Adam was there. He wasn’t going to leave Kris.

The sounds of O’Connell’s shrieking and the sound of the stake ripping into her body were barely but a whisper. It was almost as if Kris had simply dreamt up the whole thing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Quick! He’s awake—someone go get Adam.”

“I’ll do it. Stay with him, Arch.”

Kris fidgeted a little, trying to blink his world back into focus. As soon as he tried to sit up, a soft hand eased him back down, petting his hair soothingly.

“You’re alright now, Kris,” David said softly. “Welcome back to the world of the living.”

“Hey, Archie,” Kris said softly. “How long was I out?”

“Around two to three hours, I believe. You gave Adam quite a scare.”

“…what happened?” Kris asked groggily. “I feel so drained.”

“It’s the connection between you and Adam,” David explained. “To put it in the simplest terms possible, your blood reacts to his. You fainted because of your body’s reaction to his outburst earlier this evening. This is really quite fascinating, Kris; things like these don’t usually happen unless you’ve already had some of his blood. Neither of you have fed from each other yet, am I right?”

Kris nodded. “Yeah, you are; Adam made it clear that there hasn’t been any need for that to happen, so we haven’t done anything of the sort.”

“I see.” David looked thoughtful. “Have you been experiencing any other strange things lately? Dizzy spells, perhaps?”

Kris shook his head quickly. “Nothing like that. But there is something I’ve been rather curious about; it’s been such a bother lately. There are times when…when I have erotic dreams involving Adam.”

“Normally, I would dismiss that as nothing more than a side effect of the mating process, but I don’t think that applies to your case. I did, however, bring along someone who might be able to help you—ah, here are Adam and Lady Camila now.”

Kris sighed happily as Adam drew him into an embrace. Curling up with David had been nice and comforting, but there was nothing he loved more than being wrapped up in Adam’s arms. He couldn’t remember when exactly he had started to become so dependent on Adam, but there was just something in him that was just so aware of Adam’s presence; it was as if having the vampire at his side was enough to nurse him back to health.

“Kris, I would like you to meet Doctor Camila Grey,” Adam said softly, gesturing to the beautiful dark-haired woman kneeling next to him. “She is a healer—I know this sounds odd given that we vampires are capable of healing ourselves, but I will explain some other time— and was quite insistent that I allow her to take a look at you.”

“Hi, Miss Camila,” Kris croaked, smiling weakly. “I’d offer you a handshake, but I’m a little disoriented at the moment; nevertheless, it’s nice to meet you.”

Camila smiled. “Likewise, Mister Allen. But please, call me Cam; Camila is far too ladylike for my tastes. To spare Lord Lambert from his explanation duties, allow me to speak a little of why they refer to me as a healer—though I believe the term ‘doctor’ is more appropriate in my case. I’m one of the oldest vampires in this city, and I have devoted my time to researching the biological and physiological functions of a vampire’s body. Recently, I have moved on to studying the biological reaction of human mates to their Makers, and it is absurdly fascinating. David here told me of how your body reacted to Lord Lambert’s emotions tonight, and it piqued my interest. I have this running theory in my head, but I don’t know if it matches up to the rest of your ‘symptoms’. Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?”

“I may not be able to answer them according to your expectations, but yeah, that’ll be fine with me,” Kris replied, pulling himself to a sitting position.

“These will be of the rather probing nature, though,” Camila warned him. “Lord Lambert, I pray that you keep your wits where they are. Mister Allen, I need to know if there have been occasions on which you have sexually desired Lord Lambert.”

Kris whimpered a little, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. He had wanted to keep the dreams a secret from Adam, but judging from how the mention of those dreams had intrigued David and Camila so much, it would be foolish to continue to hide them.

“I think I unconsciously have?” he mumbled, the statement sounding more like a question than anything else. “I’ve had several dreams where uhm, Adam and I are…you know. I haven’t had the urge to like, hump his leg when I’m awake, though.”

“I went through similar experiences when Cook and I began to get intimate,” David remarked thoughtfully. “This just strikes me as odd because Adam and Kris clearly aren’t having sexual relations.”

“Will this be a problem for us in the future?” Adam queried. “I do not wish for Kris to faint every time I express severe changes in emotion. There must be something I can do to somehow lift this frustration off his shoulders.”

“There is,” Camila replied. “It’s a simple solution, really; but I don’t know if you’re ready for it.”

“Pray tell,” Adam said wearily. “At this point, I am willing to do anything to keep Kris’ energy levels up; I am responsible for him, after all.”

“Then you must allow him to drink your blood,” David said softly, his face inscrutable and hauntingly beautiful under a veil of moonlight. “You must allow him to become one with you.”

“I do not wish to compromise his sanity,” Adam frowned. “You know very well how our blood affects humans; everything will begin to operate on overdrive for them.”

“He can take it,” David insisted. “As your child, I am in no position to argue with you. I do, however, know when to challenge your desire to behave so nobly all the time. Kristopher is your human, Father; if anyone is capable of ingesting your blood, that someone would be him.”

Kris observed the dynamic between Father and Son in silence, amazed at how still David stood as he held his Father’s gaze, eyes gentle yet unwavering. Adam beckoned him close, tugging him into an affectionate one-armed embrace as he pressed a kiss to David’s hair.

“You have grown well, David,” he said softly. “I am proud of you.”

David beamed. “You raised me to be this way. The best Makers allow their Progeny to learn and experience certain things on their own, remember? If we see things eye-to-eye all the time, then we will certainly fail miserably in making decisions; a little disagreement is necessary from time to time.”

“And to think I was once regretful of having to turn you at such a young age.” Adam shook his head. “Had you been older then, I do not believe things would have turned out the same way.”

David hushed him. “Stop it with the regrets. You have other things to take care of, I believe. Kristopher looks exhausted; I’m sure he would like to rest comfortably.”

“Monte is waiting with the vehicle, Lord Lambert,” Camila reminded him. “Tommy and Isaac are to escort you home tonight. If you need me, I’ll be down in the labs.”

“Thank you, Camila.” Adam inclined his head, rising to assist David in pulling Kris to a standing position. “Also, I sent Taylor over to deliver Miss O’Connell’s remains to your laboratory—although I still cannot understand your need for them.”

Camila smirked. “Think of bones, Lord Lambert. There is so much you can learn about a man once you examine his skeletal remains. In this case, I believe there is much we can learn about this strange vampire by going through what’s left for her. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.”

“I honestly would not know what to do without you, Cammy,” Adam said affectionately, giving her a light peck on the cheek. “If you find out anything, feel free to drop by the apartment.”

“Will do, sir,” Camila replied. “Have a safe trip home.”

“Can you walk, Kris?” Adam asked solicitously.

“I can manage,” Kris answered, grimacing a little. “I’m still a tad woozy, though.”

“After tonight’s events, I am not in the mood to take any more risks,” Adam declared, lifting Kris up in his arms as one would do a lover. “We can get things done faster if I carry you.”

“I feel like a Disney princess,” Kris mumbled, tucking his face into the crook of Adam’s neck.

“The role suits you, though,” David laughed lightly. “Well, I guess I can go now; it seems that Adam has everything under control. I’ll stop by after my classes tomorrow to see how you are faring.”

“Get home safely, David,” Adam instructed. “Stay close to Cook; I have a bad feeling about all of this.”

“I will,” David promised. “And please, don’t worry too much. I know you trust your instincts, but I don’t want you to exhaust your energy on something that could just be another crime in this city.

“You did not hear what she said, Davey,” Adam said softly. “Right before Tommy raised the stake to her heart, she said something about someone coming. It sounded apocalyptic.”

Kris shivered in Adam’s arms as he pressed in closer, trying to ease the tension that was flowing through his body. Still, he kept his face buried in Adam’s neck, too afraid to see the anxious expression on the faces of both vampires.   
It was going to be a long, long night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kris peeked out from the swaddle of blankets, watching quietly as Adam puttered around the bathroom, dressing down for the night. As soon as Monte had dropped them off, he had Tommy and Isaac follow them into their apartment to make sure it was free of anything that could possibly endanger Kris. They had left after Tommy deemed himself satisfied—which had taken awhile, though—leaving Kris with a rather frustrated and tight-lipped Adam. He had been on edge throughout the whole trip home, and Kris’ gestures of affection had done nothing to soothe him. Bothered by the awkward silence that had suddenly fallen upon them, Kris excused himself and burrowed under the covers, not caring very much about how childlike he was being. If he couldn’t soothe Adam’s worries away, then he was a failure as a companion.

“…I apologize for tonight,” Adam said softly, sinking down onto the bed next to Kris. “I am used to dealing with offenders in such brutal ways, but this is the first time that someone dear to me could be in danger because of my own doing. I have many enemies, Kris; I should have never dragged you into this.”

“So, are you saying you want me out?” Kris asked incredulously. “Are you releasing me from your care? I thought I was your human, Adam; I thought I was yours.”

“I care too deeply for you to allow such dangers to enter your life,” Adam argued. “I do not wish to cause you suffering, Kristopher!”

Kris shook his head. “I would suffer more if you force me to keep away from you! I don’t want to be apart from you, Adam! We are the only ones who can truly understand each other because my blood calls for yours. I spoke to David about it, and he says this only happens when people must be mated.”

“Kristopher, what you are asking for is—”

“Never mind. You’d turn me down again, anyway.”

Kris looked away, wanting more than anything to be someplace else at the moment. Maybe Tommy would welcome the company; he did say Kris was welcome to drop by anytime. Anything was better than being stuck in a room with someone who was too noble to give in to his desires.

“You are not allowed to leave this room, Kris.” Adam’s grip was vice-like on his wrist. “Anything could happen under the absence of my protection.”

“If you’re capable of reading my mind just like that, then you must understand why I can’t be around you right now,” Kris muttered. “I’m not a child, Adam. I’m a man, just like you.”

Something inside Adam seemed to crack, and the walls Kris had never been used to seeing crumbled slowly. He felt arms wrap around him from behind, cold lips pressing kisses to his cheeks.

“Is this what you desire, Kris?” Adam asked softly. “Am I what you desire?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anyone else before I met you,” Kris replied, turning a bit so he could face Adam. “It isn’t just my blood calling out to you, Adam; it’s my heart, too.”

“And if my heart was still worthy of yours, you know very well that it would be calling out to yours as well,” Adam sighed. “But what can I offer you, Kristopher? I am but a dead man.”

“You aren’t dead to me,” Kris whispered, leaning forward to ghost his lips over Adam’s. “Drink my blood, Adam. If it’s going to make you feel alive again, I want you to drink my blood.”

“Leave everything to me,” Adam instructed, pinning Kris to the bed with his weight. “I am going to use one of my abilities to make the experience pleasurable for you.”

“I trust you, Adam.”

Adam gracefully slithered down his body, revealing a new patch of skin each time he undid a button on Kris’ shirt, stopping every so often to kiss and lick at his flesh. Kris shivered in delight, suddenly desperate for something he could not even give a name to. It was as if Adam was awakening all the sexual desires he had no idea he was actually capable of having. For the longest time, Kris had lived the life of a good pastor’s son, straying away from sex and all things considered sinful. But now that he was lying naked beneath the man—a vampire, no less—he adored, he could not understand how people could perceive something so undeniably beautiful as something so wrong.

“We make a beautiful picture, yes,” Adam murmured, nosing at the flesh of his inner thigh as he pushed Kris’ sleep pants down to his ankles. “You look so delectable like this, naked and willing for me. I will show you true pleasure, my beloved. After you have had me, your God will revoke your ability to speak and think coherently. I will make it so, so good for you.”

The effect of Adam’s words was electrifying. Kris moaned a little, shivering as Adam moved off him to travel further down his body. The vampire settled himself between Kris’ legs, licking lightly at the pre-cum oozing from the slit of his erection.

“You have touched yourself here before, have you not?” Adam asked softly, jerking Kris’ cock roughly. “You lead the life of a good Christian by day, but when you lie alone in bed at night; all that virtue goes flying out the window. You allow your hand to slip past your waistband, and you grip your cock in a similar fashion as to what I am doing now. You jerk yourself oh so slowly, pretending your hand belongs to the nameless, faceless man you have always fantasized about.”

“Fuck, Adam,” Kris breathed. “Please!”

“Please what, my love?” Adam bent down to lick a long stripe up his cock. “What do you want me to do to you? All you have to do is say the words.”

“Your—your mouth,” Kris replied hesitantly. “I want it—oh god—I want it on my cock.”

He looked away, unable to meet Adam’s eyes, cheeks burning in embarrassment. Sensing the sudden shift in his mood, Adam rested his cheek on his thigh and stroked his hip, soothing Kris instantly.

“You do not have to be shy when it comes to being vocal about your desires, Kris. I want to know exactly how I can bring you pleasure; I do not wish for you to be shy around me.”

“I’m sorry,” Kris apologized. “It’s just that I’ve never really had someone whose primary goal is to make me feel good. All my life, I’ve been desperately trying to please others.”

“Which is noble yet unfair.” Adam pressed a kiss to the inside of his knee. “Let go of all your inhibitions, Kris; tonight, it is all about you.”

Kris gasped as Adam pulled his legs apart, sliding his mouth over his cock without warning. He took Kris swiftly and with practiced ease, his tongue licking over and around him as he sucked. Kris could only moan helplessly and clench tightly at the sheets as he wantonly arched off the bed. Adam’s eyes were bright and hot, holding him in their captive gaze as he allowed his fangs to scratch lightly along the overly sensitized skin of Kris’ cock, eliciting an elated gasp.

“God, yes!” he panted. “Take me, Adam! Fuck, make me yours…”

His words seemed to have awakened something in Adam. The vampire pulled Kris to him and devoured his lips in a hungry kiss, fangs nipping lightly at his lips while his tongue licked into Kris mouth. Kris locked his legs around Adam’s waist to pull him closer, kissing him back desperately. He shivered a little as Adam’s lips drifted to his exposed neck, knowing full well what was about to happen.

“Adam, please…” he begged. “I want you to drink from me; I feel like I may lose myself anytime.”

“Oh, my darling,” Adam purred, scraping his fangs against Kris’ neck. “I have not fed from a human in years because I have never felt the need to do so. I was one of the few vampires strong enough to survive on hospital donations. This is the first time someone’s blood has sparked such a desire in me.”

A keening noise escaped Kris’ throat as he felt Adam’s fangs sink into his neck. It was an oddly pleasurable feeling; he felt light-headed yet hyperaware of everything at the same time. Adam was purity and sin all rolled into one—he felt like he was caught in between Heaven and Hell with the flames of Purgatory licking at his skin. Kris sighed softly as Adam drank his fill, the sharp sting of pain gradually dulling to a faint throb.

 _“Kris. Get my fingers wet. Hurry.”_

Adam’s thoughts echoed in his head clearly, surprising Kris just a little. Recalling Adam’s telepathic abilities, he relaxed and took Adam’s outstretched hand, sucking his fingers into his mouth.

 _“Yes. Exactly the way I want it. Good boy, Kristopher.”_

Kris squirmed with delight at the appraisal as he continued to lave Adam’s fingers with his tongue. At last, Adam extricated his fangs from Kris’ neck, looking uncharacteristically flushed.

“That will be enough, my darling.”

He withdrew his fingers from Kris’ mouth and returned to his place between his splayed legs, nudging tenderly at Kris’ entrance with his saliva-slick fingers. Whimpering softly, Kris spread his legs further apart, allowing Adam free reign to probe him as he pleased.

“This will hurt a little, alright?” Adam asked quietly, positioning his fingers at Kris’ hole. “I need you to relax and breathe. Can you do it for me, Kris?”

“Yes,” Kris whispered. “Just… _please_ , Adam.”

“Hush,” Adam soothed him. “I will provide you with your release.”

Kris’ breath hitched in his throat as the first of Adam’s fingers breached him, pushing deep into the very core of his person. He had thought about pressing in with his own fingers when he was younger, wondering how it would feel to be filled by a man, but he had been too scared that his parents would find out about his doings. He had fantasized about it countless times, but nothing could compare to the reality of it all.

“Relax, my love,” Adam advised, pushing in a second finger to join the first. “It will get better; I promise.”

As soon as Kris’s muscles began to relax around him, Adam executed a push-pull motion with his fingers that left Kris breathless. Something inside him had been touched, and he felt like he was spiraling off into a universe hundreds of light-years away.

“…oh god!” he breathed. “Adam! That was—that was…”

“Your prostate.” Adam smirked, pushing in deep again. “It is that place in a man’s body that works as the pleasure center during intercourse.”

“Do something, please,” Kris begged, wriggling his hips shamelessly.

“Leave everything to me, Kris.”

Adam dove back in between his legs, sucking Kris’ cock into his mouth again as he fucked him with his fingers. Kris twisted his fingers in Adam’s hair, hips canting upwards to meet Adam’s thrusts. Moments later, he cried out his release, body going limp in Adam’s arms.

“Rest,” Adam said softly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Things will be clearer come morning.”

Kris slept.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“You’re walking funny.”

Kris rolled his eyes, inviting himself into Tommy’s apartment. “Good morning to you too, Tommy. Adam said he had important business to attend to, so I figured I’d come over. And since it would be rude of me to bring pies, I brought a few bags of O negative for you.”

Tommy accepted the basket. “Sorry about the heavy drapes. Cale can’t walk in daylight, so I had to make a few adjustments for his convenience.”

“…you mean he’s here with you?” Kris arched an eyebrow.

“Puncture marks,” Tommy pointed out, yanking down the collar of his shirt. “They’re all over me, actually; but hey, you don’t need to see the rest.”

“So you had sex?”

“Of course we did,” Tommy replied casually. “Real good sex, too. Your childhood friend kicks ass in bed; I don’t think I’ve screamed that loud in a long, long time.”

“That’s probably because you haven’t had sex in a long, long time, either.” Cale emerged from the bedroom, smirking. “You sounded thoroughly debauched last night.”

“I have no time for random screwing around, okay?” Tommy glared at him in the midst of preparing their version of breakfast. “Unlike most fangers, I have a highly demanding job taking over my life.”

“Then what was last night all about, hmm?” Cale asked teasingly, dipping his fingers into the waistband of  
Tommy’s briefs. “That can be classified as random screwing if I do say so myself.”

“Uhm, guys?” Kris piped up. “Hello; innocent bystander here.”

“Oh, you lie,” Cale chuckled. “We can smell the sex on you, Allen. There ain’t anything you can hide from a vampire. Even after you’ve washed the smell off under running water, we can still trace the remnants.”

“So, was it good?” Tommy wanted to know. “We all know from the giant bulge in Adam’s pants that he has a huge dick; I don’t know how it can fit into anything, really.”

“We didn’t go all the way, okay?” Kris muttered, feeling his face heat up for what seemed to be the nth time. “He just uhm, used his fingers. And yeah…it was good.”

“…I can’t believe I’m asking my best friend on how he got deflowered by a vampire,” Cale shook his head. “I’m still trying to get used to all of this, man.”

“Well, I can’t believe I’m standing here talking to my best friend who is now a vampire that spent the night having sex with another vampire,” Kris said with a wry smile. “It takes a lot of getting used to.”

“While you two are contemplating on the newness of all this, I suddenly have a bone to pick with Adam,” Tommy declared. “If he had important business to take care of, then why didn’t he drag me along? This is the first time he didn’t ask me to come with him, so it worries me. Did he say anything strange to you last night, Kris? Any noticeable change in his behavior will prove to be useful.”

“We all know that he got upset by the situation with Katy,” Kris sighed. “Even Archie couldn’t calm him down, so it was really quite alarming. He was deeply bothered by something that Katy said before you staked her. Regrettably, it has slipped my mind by now.”

“Wait.” Tommy squeezed his eyes shut, tipping the contents of his glass into his mouth. “I’m trying to remember what it was.”

“She said something about someone coming,” Cale said darkly. “It sounded like a warning.”

Kris shivered involuntarily as Tommy sank onto the sofa, his normally impassive face lined with worry. He took another swig from his glass before getting up again, pacing the length of the room in erratic strides.

“This can only mean one thing.” He wrung his hands nervously. “That O’Connell girl has a Maker; I believe he is a very powerful vampire. I hate to confirm the worst of my suspicions, but I think he’s on to Adam. Knowing Adam, he’s going to behave like a fucking noble and claim this fight as his own so no one else will get hurt. Heck, he’s probably gone to Arkansas to get some information from Torres!”

“We need to go after him!” Kris exclaimed. “We can’t just let him fly off there to die like a martyr! Tommy, please! If there’s anyone who would know what to do in this situation, it’s you.”

Tommy nodded. “Okay. But we’ll have to wait for sundown until we move; most of our allies cannot go about at the moment. There are, however, a few things we can do right now. Cale, I need you to call the airline to check what time the earliest available flight to Arkansas leaves. Kris, you must head on down to UCLA to consult David; we need his insight on this. I will send Brad to accompany you. As for myself, I think a visit to Monte is in order.”

“Alright,” Cale agreed. “Once you make the final arrangements, give me a heads-up; they’ll need to know how many in-flight coffins we’re going to need.”

Kris curled himself into a ball on the sofa, suddenly aware of Adam’s absence. He felt cold, somehow, and slightly weak. Sighing softly, Tommy moved to sit with him, lifting Kris’ head to prop it on his lap. They sat quietly for awhile; the sound of Tommy’s fingers scratching lightly at Kris’ scalp serving as the only noise in the heavy silence.

“…can I ask you something, Tommy?”

“Anything.”

“Are we going to be okay?”

A pause.

“I don’t know, Kris. But we have to keep faith. We have to believe in Adam.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If David was still human, Kris would have probably thought that he was having a heart attack. In accordance to Tommy’s plans, he had gone with Brad to see David to break the news, and his reaction had been almost too much to bear. Kris had always associated David with the quiet dignity that seemed to emanate from his very core, but there was no trace of that on his face at the moment. He looked grim and somewhat defeated; it frightened Kris because he had never run into anyone who could put that look on the wisest vampire he knew.

“…I should have anticipated this,” David said shakily, suddenly sounding very young and all of nineteen years. “He was more worried than usual last night; I should have expected him to go on ahead and do something foolish. I am to blame for this.”

“No.” Kris shook his head, placing his hand on David’s. “It’s my fault, too. I shouldn’t have let him go this morning. I already had a feeling that he was going to act on last night’s events, but I still let him go.”

“You two should stop blaming yourselves, ‘cause that’s not going to solve anything,” Brad cut in. “I know this kind of shit is hard to make sense of, but you have to think logically. Instead of convincing yourselves of having to take the blame for his actions, why don’t you plow on ahead and make intervention plans? Some of you guys are flying over, right? You should talk about more important things like who to dispatch and which flight is going to be the best one to take.”

“Thank you, Brad,” David seemed to relax a little. “I needed that little kick to my, uhm, behind. What else did Tommy say, Kris?”

“That’s just about it,” Kris replied. “He did say he was going to Monte’s. I don’t know exactly what Monte does for Adam, so I’m a little confused.”

“He’s a researcher,” David explained. “He studies vampires and writes his research based on unbiased human perspective. Not so long ago, Adam saved the life of one of his daughters when one of the LA rogues kidnapped her for feeding purposes. Since then, Monte’s been aiding us with his research. Recently, he’s been researching the Daywalker phenomenon with Doctor Grey, but all they’ve managed to come up with is that it’s sort of genetic. Adam and I come from a bloodline of Daywalkers, but it’s too difficult to trace its origins because the lineage goes too far back in time. Tommy and Cook are what you can call distant cousins, so we must have all come from the same Primordial.”

“Still, why would Tommy feel the need to go to him?”

“Monte knows Chris Torres,” David answered. “Mister Torres was one of the vampires who contributed greatly to his research. If there’s anyone who can help us gain entry into the Conway camp, that would be Monte. I believe Tommy is going to ask him to come with us.”

“How much backup are we going to need?” Kris asked. “Obviously, we can’t take everybody.”

“Leaving LA unprotected will not be suitable to our advantage,” David agreed. “Law dictates that I should be the one to temporarily assume power in Adam’s place, but I feel I will be needed more in Conway. Brad, tell Cassidy that I will leave him in charge; I trust his decision-making skills.”

“So, I’m guessing you’ll be taking Cook along, then,” Brad remarked. “I agree; he’ll be better off assisting in Conway. Your Mate’s terrible temper may hinder clarity of thought.”

“My thoughts exactly,” David affirmed. “I will also be asking Doctor Grey, Isaac and Taylor to accompany us. I’m sure Tommy and Cale have already made up their minds about what they are to do.”

“Tommy’s having Cale deal with the travel arrangements,” Kris informed him. “As of now, that’s just about everything that we’ve settled. If Tommy has made any new plans, I’ll find out about them as soon as I go back to his place.”

“I see,” David nodded. “Alright, then; I will return home for a little while to wait for Cook. Once we’re ready, we’ll join you at Tommy’s. Please don’t hesitate to call me in case you have any updates or changes in the itinerary.”

“I will,” Kris promised him. “See you later, Arch.”

With a heavy heart, he watched David exit the coffee shop, feeling guilty that he had been the one to put that look on David’s wise, innocent face. He thought of Adam, and the very image of his face caused a feeling of pain to coil itself around Kris’ heart. He knew very well that Adam was more than capable of defending himself, but he was having difficulty fighting the feeling that something was bound to go wrong.

He just hoped that they wouldn’t be too late to stop it.


	3. Of Saints and Sinners

_“Leave me a place underground, a labyrinth,  
where I can go, when I wish to turn  
without eyes, without touch,  
in the void, to dumb stone,  
or the finger of a shadow.  
I know that you cannot, no one, no thing  
can deliver up that place, or that path,  
but what can I do with my pitiful passions   
if they are no use, on the surface  
of everyday life,  
if I cannot look to survive,  
except by dying, going beyond, entering  
into the state, metallic and slumbering,  
of primeval flame.”_

\- Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973)

 

It felt odd to be standing in Conway’s airport once again. The last time Kris had been here, it was in an attempt to get away from the simple life he had grown to hate so much over the years. Now, he was back where he started. This time, he was on a mission to save the man he loved.

“Feeling okay, buddy?” Cook asked. “You hardly slept a wink during the flight.”

“I find difficulty in falling asleep when I’m too wound up,” Kris admitted. “I feel like a vampire who has returned to his hometown after being away for so long.”

“Ah, I know that feeling,” Cook said sympathetically. “I don’t think I’ll ever set foot in Kansas again; even Grenvell and Mom moved to New York just because the place holds too many memories for them. If someone were to ask me, I’d say that memories are a vampire’s worst enemy. Of course, that’s just my opinion; others would beg to differ.”

“How about emotions, then?”

“Indeed. You catch on fast, kid.”

Their conversation was cut short by an appearance from the rest of their companions. David was in the lead, looking tense and exhausted; Tommy and Monte took up the rear, wheeling the coffins containing the others on trolleys.

“You’re going to feed as soon as we reach the hotel,” Cook said softly, cradling David’s face in his hands. “Didn’t I tell you not to go a week without feeding from me?”

“I’m sorry, Cook,” David replied. “You know very well that I don’t feed unless it is absolutely necessary. Adam taught me how to conserve my energy long enough to last me awhile. I will, however, feed from you as soon as we get settled. Have you phoned Miss Wendle yet?”

Cook nodded. “She arranged for a limo to pick us up as soon as we arrive.”

“That’s good to hear.” Tommy slipped on his sunglasses. “None of us are in tip-top condition right now; we need to feed and get some sleep if we want to be in perfect form. We’re going to be perfectly safe at her home; she also has a selection of willing donors for those who are going to need human blood.”

“…you’ve developed a taste for Mills, haven’t you?” Monte asked with a smirk. “I know you, Ratliff; you’re the pickiest eater I know. You don’t feed from just anybody.”

Tommy shrugged noncommittally. “He’s powerful; I like the taste of power.”

In spite of his worries, Kris managed to grin a little. He was in good company, and they would all find a way to get Adam back. His companions seemed to know what they were doing; nothing was more assuring than having power, intellect and confidence on your side. Hopefully, the much needed rest would help rejuvenate everyone’s spirits, and they could get to work on putting their plans into action.

“Keep calm, Kris,” David advised him, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Send Adam your good thoughts; he will need that. I know it’s going to be difficult, but we must try to remain optimistic. If Adam senses your distress, his attention may end up divided. In predicaments such as these, a loss of focus can render a vampire powerless. Another thing you have to remember is that we are treading on land that we are unaccustomed to; for this, I must lean heavily on you and Mister Mills for guidance.”

“Yes, of course,” Kris agreed. “Although I’m a little apprehensive of how the people in this town might react to my presence; by now I’m sure they know that I’ve been away for awhile. It’s the kind of place where people seem to know each other a little too well.”

“You’ll be in safe hands,” David promised him. “Miss Wendle will take care of keeping you hidden; you may stay at her home if it’s going to be too dangerous for you to move around with us. Also, Mister Torres and Adam have been friends for a long time; he will not allow any harm to come to any of us while we are here. Though the people here are not too fond of vampires, they have never laid a finger on Mister Torres or any of his companions out of fear. Their fear fuels them more than their hatred does, so we have no choice but to use it to our advantage.”

“…you won’t hurt anyone, right?”

“Never. They usually try to hurt us even before we think about hurting them. It’s an insult to humanity, but that is the way the cookie crumbles.”

“Hey, guys,” Monte alerted them. “The limo’s here; we should get going if we want to make it in by sundown. That way, you guys can feed and sleep a little before we head on out at night.”

“Come, Kris,” David said softly. “We will speak more tonight, if you wish.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Brooke Wendle, it turned out, was an LA-bred vampire. Adam had sent her to Conway to serve as the bridge between Torres and himself. Kris had been quite uncomfortable at first, but her pleasant manners and charming wit eventually put him at ease. Like the rest of Adam’s posse, she had taken an immediate liking to him. At the hour marking his first night back in Conway, Kris found himself sitting in Brooke’s kitchen with Taylor Green and Isaac Carpenter, a steaming mug of tea clasped tightly in his hands.

“Are you feeling better, honey?” Brooke asked kindly. “I hope the tea is helping; I used to take that as an anti-stressor when I was still human.”

“It is; thanks,” Kris replied with a smile. “Please don’t worry so much about me.”

“We’re under strict orders to attend to you as best as we can,” Isaac reminded him. “Tommy made it clear that no harm was to come to you under any circumstance. He can be all smiles when he’s in a good mood, but defying his orders is punishable by shit worse than death.”

“Speaking of Tommy, where is he?” Kris asked.

“Indisposed,” Brooke replied. “He’s quite taken by that handsome friend of yours, Kris. I’m sure you know what else goes on when a vampire feeds.”

Kris felt his face heat up. “Yeah; Adam gave me a demonstration last night.”

“Ooh, glad to see he finally gave in,” Taylor remarked. “Plus, he’s been abstaining like crazy; I keep telling him it isn’t healthy to stay away from feeding for too long.”

“Lord Lambert is fucking stubborn, though,” Isaac sighed. “Only David and Tommy can get him to listen. Now, we have Kris, too; maybe life’s going to be a little simpler after we get out of this mess.”

“You don’t seem too worried, if I may state my observation,” Kris said slowly.

“I’m a bit of a natural optimist,” Isaac admitted. “Plus, I have faith in all of you. We’ve been through shit before, and we’ve been able to deal with things despite the difficulties encountered. Besides, endless bouts of worrying won’t really help in getting the job done.”

“I miss your perturbing sense of calm,” Brooke said with a rueful smile. “Heck, I miss all of you; being out here on my own makes me a little lonely sometimes.”

“Why’d you accept the post, anyway?” Taylor wanted to know. “Adam offered it to quite a number of people; I remember a handful willing to go in your place.”

“I had a feeling he wanted me to do it,” Brooke sighed. “You know how Adam works; if he wants you for the job, he’ll find a way of communicating it without you missing the hint. And I’m sure we’re all on the same page when I say we’ll do absolutely anything he asks of us.”

Taylor smiled. “We all love him. But there’s no one he loves as much as he loves Kris. Whatever reason he had for running off, I’m sure he has no intentions of dying. He’s got you to come back to, Kris. No matter how much of a martyr Adam is, he’s not going to let himself get staked because someone he loves is waiting for him. I know he’d feel guilty leaving us to fend for ourselves, but that’s nothing compared to what he feels for you. He’s been different since you came to us, Kris.”

“Tay, I think you’re the first person that actually helped me feel better.” Kris reached out to squeeze his hand. “I know everyone means well because they care about me, but no one was able to say it as kindly and as contritely as you did; for that, I thank you.”

“I bet this is why Tommy asked him to come along,” Isaac pointed out. “He wanted you to have someone you could talk to about…well, anything. Tay’s a sweetheart, so he’s perfect for the job.”

Kris grinned. “You’re not terrible company yourself, Isaac. And of course, Miss Wendle’s amazing.”

“Call me Brooke,” she insisted. “Every single man on this force gives me the Miss Wendle treatment out of respect, but I don’t take to it as well as Cam does to Doctor Grey. I guess it just makes me feel old—well, older than I already am, at least.”

As soon as he had finished his tea, Kris politely excused himself in hopes of exploring the nooks and crannies of Brooke’s house. It was a homey bungalow occupying a large land area that gave off a rustic, comfortable feel—much like Kris’ childhood home. Ignoring the pangs stirring in his heart, he made his way to the back porch and plopped into the rickety old rocking chair, peering listlessly at the starless sky.

It was going to be a long, long night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sometime in the dead of the night, Tommy had roused Kris from sleep, telling him to get dressed and be outside in five minutes. Despite his curiosity, Kris decided against asking further questions and did as he was told. As soon as he deemed himself ready, he grabbed his leather jacket off the door hook and walked right out the front door. Tommy herded him into a black sedan; he found himself squished into the back seat next to Brooke, Taylor and Cale.

“…where are we going?” he finally asked.

“Icarus,” Tommy replied. “It’s a hole-in-the-wall pub that the Conway vamps frequent. Monte arranged for us to meet with Torres and his cronies tonight; here’s to hoping we’re going to way away with more information and less questions to answer.”

“Isn’t David going to come along?”

“We considered it, but I figured it would look too imposing,” Tommy explained. “Being Adam’s Progeny, his presence may elicit adverse reactions from the less-informed vampires. Monte and Cale are both well-acquainted with Torres, so we have to bring them along. Brooke is well-known in the area; she can mill around and gather information without looking too suspicious. Taylor is going to be taking care of you most of the time, but you are more than welcome to join us when we talk to Torres. You’ll be safer with all of us around you, too.”

“There are going to be quite a few familiar faces in the crowd, Kris,” Cale warned him. “Some of our classmates are fangbangers in the closet; others may have allowed themselves to be turned. If someone recognizes you, pretend to be a fangbanger yourself. Don’t answer any questions about what we’re doing; just grab a drink, dance, whatever. Taylor, I trust you to take care of him.”

“You can count on me,” Taylor promised. “I won’t let Kris out of my sight.”

“Good.” Tommy sounded satisfied. “I figure this is going to go nicely—unless the unexpected comes crawling in while we’re there, of course.”

Cale chuckled. “And to think we came up with this plan while screwing. I think Tommy is the only vampire who orgasms at the prospect of a foolproof scheme.”

“Well, you do find it erotic,” Tommy said, nonplussed. “A Mate of lesser intelligence would do you no good.”

Brooke blinked. “…Tommy has a _Mate_? I could tell you guys were involved, but I didn’t think you were Mates. How long ago was this?”

“Last night,” Tommy said with a shrug. “Well, we’ve fed from each other quite a number of times now, but it was only last night that we realized we could call ourselves a pair.”

“And this is why you shouldn’t think of someone as a hick just because he’s from Arkansas.” Cale smirked. “For all you know, we have worse kinks than you LA folk.”

“Yes, like the weird intellect kink you have going on with Tommy,” Taylor giggled. “Next time, you should ask him about history during sex; he’s like a walking history book.”

Monte shook his head. “You vamps are a strange lot, that’s for sure. I’ve run into humans who get off on the weirdest shit, but getting turned on by someone’s IQ is new.”

Despite the circumstances, Kris was gladdened by the lighter (if not stranger) topic of conversation. Tossing jokes and casual remarks around was doing wonders to his nerves. He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t apprehensive about what would take place that night; talking about rather menial things helped calm him down. Just like any other person, Kris functioned better when he was calm—there were less chances of royally fucking up everything that way.

“Okay, so here’s what we’re going to do.” Tommy gathered everyone around for a final reorientation. “Monte, Cale and I will be heading over to Torres. Brooke, take Kris and Taylor with you when you extract information from the locals; feign mingling if you have to. If anyone gets into any trouble, alert me with a text or missed call. If you are unable to do so, yell.”

Kris nodded stiffly, tucking himself into Taylor’s side as Monte escorted them into the pub. Almost immediately, Kris’ nostrils were accosted by the scent of blood and sex. Tommy had not been kidding when he said it was not safe to prowl Icarus alone; a couple of unengaged vampires would swoop in to sniff at Kris, backing off only when Taylor bared his fangs at them.

“I just need to find Andrew,” Brooke muttered under her breath. “We’ll be safer in the VIP lounge. Thankfully, most of these fangbangers are too poor to afford Torres’ steep fees; he keeps them pricey for obvious reasons. Now, where the hell is that Andrew?”

“You rang, Miss Brooke?”

Kris yelped in surprise as he felt a cold puff of air brush past him, only to assume the form of a handsome sandy-haired vampire—most likely the Andrew fellow that Brooke had been searching for.

“We need to talk,” Brooke said briskly. “This is a very urgent matter, so don’t expect me to stick my hand down your pants and play nice tonight.”

Andrew smirked, offering his arm for Brooke to take. “I just love it when you get all feisty. But what a lady wants, a lady gets. Please; follow me.”

Kris followed the pair, clasping Taylor’s hand in a vice-like grip as they made their way past a throng of hungry-looking vampires. Those who didn’t seem to be interested in them were busy with other things, mostly sexual and scandalous in nature. Vampires and humans alike were draped over each other in various states of undress, terrifying and fascinating Kris with the lewdness of it all. It made him feel safe to have Taylor, Brooke and this Andrew character rallying around him, but he could not help but sigh with relief when Andrew shut the heavy steel door behind them.

He eyed Kris suspiciously. “You brought along a human.”

“He belongs to the lord,” Brooke informed him. “But before I start grilling you for answers, allow me to make a few introductions. Kris, this is Andrew de Roberts; he’s one of Torres’ most trusted aides. Andrew, these are Kris Allen and Taylor Green.”

“Under other circumstances, I’m sure I would have been pleased to meet you.” Andrew smiled wryly at the pair. “Not that I’m going to throw you back out there to the wolves or anything, but we’re all pretty stressed right now; and judging by the looks of things, you guys don’t seem to be in good shape, either.”

“Have you seen the lord around, Andrew?” Brooke asked. “He left early yesterday morning without telling anyone of his plans; we’re operating on a hunch that he flew here to speak to Torres.”

“He was here this afternoon, yes,” Andrew replied. “From what I overheard, it seems that Katy O’Connell caused a hell of a lot of trouble for you folks. Did Ratliff really stake her?”

“Adam ordered him to,” Taylor piped up. “She wasn’t being very nice to Kris, and she ended up making him really angry. No one had ever seen Adam that furious before.”

“Torres was pretty much alarmed himself upon hearing the story,” Andrew went on. “They believe she’s in cahoots with another master vampire none of us know of. If you came to talk to Torres, I’m afraid he’s left with your Lord Lambert; they’re probably doing some investigating around the area.”

“Well, that leaves Monte and the other two empty-handed,” Brooke sighed. “They’re probably out trying to track Adam now. Are you sure you don’t know anything else, Andrew?”

“If I did, I would have let you know at once. I just didn’t think that it would get this big.”

“Believe me, we all feel the same way,” Taylor said sagely. “There’s someone else out there; O’Connell was only sent to deliver the message.”

“Poor girl.” Andrew shook his head. “She was deluded. Unfortunately, the fangbanging here has become quite a trend. Those kids out there in the main room are here almost every night. They used to hate us, but now they’re fucking obsessed; it makes me sick. Whatever that thing we’re trying to find is, it’s dragging humans into a private war by messing with their heads.”

Kris remained curled up in the loveseat, listening intently to the conversation that was flowing freely among the three vampires. It was quite disconcerting; he had never been around nervous, agitated vampires before. Even the normally chipper Taylor was flitting around like a hummingbird, jumping in his seat each time he would hear a noise of some sort. It was clear that something had disrupted the equilibrium that Adam and the other vampires had worked so hard to establish; they were afraid because they had no idea what it was. Cook had told him earlier that their kind had the tendency to behave like an army of control freaks. If they could not gain the upper hand in any situation, they behaved a little more wildly than they usually did.

“Maybe we should go out as well,” he suggested. “I kind of don’t see the point of staying shut up here waiting for something to happen.”

Brooke sighed. “I don’t know, Kris; Tommy told me to keep you safe. As of right now, here seems to be the safest place to be. We don’t know what’s out there.”

“My point exactly,” Kris said hotly. “How can we get anything done if we’re too scared to chase after the unknown? If we don’t know what it is, we can’t even start thinking up answers to all the questions that are swimming in our heads!”

Andrew grinned. “…that’s the first smart idea I’ve heard all evening. The kid’s right; nothing’s going to happen if we just sit here all night like a bunch of cowards. Besides, he’s got us; there’s no way he’s going to end up dead in a ditch with us protecting him.”

“Next time, skip the dead-in-a-ditch analogy.” Taylor glowered at him. “Feel free to use it again when we’re talking about someone who’s not Kris.”

“I could grow to like you kittens.” Andrew smirked. “You’re feisty little things; pretty, no less. Anyway, we should leave via the back; there’s too much shit going on—”

A loud crash and a series of screams rang out from the main room, surprising Kris and his companions. Cursing loudly, Andrew made his way to the main door, motioning for the others to stay where they were. Kris tightened his hold on Taylor, whose face had morphed into full vamp mode as soon as they had heard the noise. Brooke abandoned her post by the bar, crossing the room in brisk yet quiet strides to join Andrew at the door, her expression unreadable.

“I’m going to check things out,” Andrew informed them. “Taylor, I want you to sneak out the back with Kris. If there’s trouble out there, run back in immediately. Brooke, go with them.”

She shook her head. “No; I’m not leaving you alone to deal with this mess.”

“Ryland and the others are out there. I’ll be fine.”

“…alright,” she relented, moving away to join Kris and Taylor. “You’d better not get yourself staked, though—or seriously hurt. Just...promise me, okay?”

“Promise.” Andrew winked at her. “Now, go.”

“I wonder what the fuck that was about,” Taylor muttered. “I know vamps like wild parties, but screaming of the painful kind isn’t usually involved. I just hope no one gets seriously hurt.”

“I don’t remember people here being so…rowdy,” Kris remarked. “I can’t believe it’s changed so much…or maybe it has always been this way and I just failed to notice.”

“Well, all small towns have their secrets,” Brooke said wearily, pushing the heavy door open with her shoulder. “Sometimes, the secrets you uncover in places like these are scarier than what you can find in big crime-infested cities like good old LA.”

“Hmmm, there doesn’t seem to be anything out here,” Taylor observed. “But it’s way too quiet for my liking. If there’s a riot going on inside, shouldn’t there be loud noises out here, too?”

“…can you smell that, Taylor?” Brooke asked.

“Yes,” Taylor replied grimly. “Someone’s been killed.”

Kris followed the duo to the front area of Icarus. The stench was growing stronger with every step; the need to throw up threatened to overcome him. Taylor crouched in front of one of mangled bodies lying in state, looking far too grave for someone so cheerful.

“This one is human. Heck; some of these bodies belong to humans!”

Kris felt an unpleasant chill rip through his body upon realizing that Taylor was indeed, correct. Although his senses were not as attuned as those of the vampires, he could recognize the smell of human decay anywhere. He made to follow Brooke and Taylor as they walked off to investigate the damage, but was intercepted by a hand that clamped itself over his mouth. Panic surging through his veins, Kris struggled in his captor’s grip, desperately trying to free himself.

“Hold still, Kris!” Cale said sharply. “It’s only me.”

Kris relaxed in his grip and turned to face him, feeling quite confused. Both Taylor and Brooke mirrored his expression; they looked just as clueless as Kris felt due to Cale’s sudden appearance.

“Where have you been all this time?” Taylor demanded. “We heard from Andrew that Torres wasn’t around, so we thought you may have gone out to look for him.”

“We did, but chaos broke out,” Cale sighed. “You must have heard the commotion; I don’t see any other fitting reason for you to be out here.”

“What happened, anyway?” Brooke asked.

“Rogues,” Cale replied shortly. “It’s reminiscent of the night I got turned, but entering dangerous territory. No one knows where the rogues are from, so things got wild. The Conway fangers got pretty riled up at the strangers crashing their party, so a fight broke out. Sad to say, there were many casualties.”

“Where are Tommy and Monte?” Kris asked, worried. “Are they alright?”

“Those guys are more than capable of taking care of themselves, honey,” Brooke assured him. “Wherever they are, I’m sure they’re doing just fine.”

“We had to do some damage control,” Cale explained. “To put things bluntly, we had to kill some of the rogues. Two of them got away, but Tommy was able to get a few words from the one of his victims. The fucker said something about how their master knew what we were up to and that we wouldn’t be able to win no matter how strong we thought we were. If you ask me, it’s a lot like what happened when Adam interrogated Katy O’Connell. She wasn’t lying, guys; there is someone else out there.”

“…I don’t care how many times we’ve thought or said this, but shit just got real,” Taylor sighed. “This is serious, guys; we can’t afford to operate on mere theoretical levels anymore.”

“He’s right.” Tommy emerged from Icarus’ main entrance, clothes and hands caked with the blood of others. “I’ve managed to reach Adam; he will join us at Brooke’s by daybreak. We need to recharge and regroup; sunrise is fast approaching, so we need to make our return trip.”

Kris wrapped his arms around Tommy from behind, burrowing his face into the blond vampire’s neck. They stood like that until Monte pulled up with the sedan, ready to take everyone back to Brooke’s bungalow. Whoever this master vampire was, he was certainly taking a lot out of Tommy. Kris had never seen him look so terse before.

And if Tommy was afraid, it meant that more bad news would come chasing after them soon enough.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kris woke to the feeling of another body occupying his bed. Confused, he reached over to part the curtains a little, wondering who on earth would want to crawl into his bed at such an ungodly hour. He nearly sobbed in relief as the faint rays of morning touched Adam’s sleeping face, framing it in a warm, ethereal glow. Kris allowed the curtain to drop and curled himself into Adam’s side, inhaling the rich, musky scent unique to him. He smelled of sandalwood, spices and blood; the combination drove Kris heady with need. He shuffled downwards a bit, groaning softly as he rubbed his erection against Adam’s thigh.

“Is it not too early for a midnight stroll, my love?” Adam asked teasingly, flipping them over so that he was pressing Kris against the mattress.

“Missed you,” Kris said breathlessly, wrapping his arms around Adam’s neck. “Don’t ever leave without telling me again; I’ve been worried sick about you.”

“I apologize; that was completely disrespectful and thoughtless of me. I thought that if I had woken you up, you would have insisted on accompanying me. I did not want to put your life at risk, but I fear that the wish has been made in vain. Whether human or vampire, we are all in the same boat now.”

“What happened?” Kris asked softly. “Did you and Torres find any new leads?”

“A few, yes; but none quite significant enough to be helpful,” Adam admitted. “We do, however, need to make a return trip to Los Angeles as soon as everyone is rested. Cassidy sent a text message informing me that similar things are happening in our city. Vampires from an unknown area have been seen frequenting our local scene and trolling the streets at night. There have been no reports of violence, but there is cause for apprehension nonetheless. I have a terrible feeling that I was tricked into traveling south for them to infiltrate LA under lower security measures. Whoever this vampire is, he is someone that knows me quite well. Torres is still concerned about Conway’s safety, though; he believes that it plays a bigger part in the grand scheme of things. Thanks to Tommy and Monte’s quick work last night, they were able to rid their territory of the vermin. I am, however, unaware of what awaits us upon our return.”

“I wish I could tell you to relax, but that would be a stupid thing to say,” Kris said softly. “I’ve never seen Tommy so lost before; it’s a little scary.”

“Morale is low,” Adam sighed. “Everyone is exhausted, confused and afraid; I do not know how we are going to get through this unscathed.”

“You need to think about yourself first, Adam,” Kris urged him. “You can’t lead an army into battles if you yourself are not in the best condition. Please, rest for awhile. Feed if you must. I’m ready.”

“…will it be alright if I touch you?” Adam asked softly. “Aside from a source of pleasure, sexual intercourse is also a way for vampires to restore energy. If you do not feel up to it, I shall not press you.”

“Are you kidding?” Kris mumbled, cupping Adam’s hard length through the denim. “I want this; I need this. Given what’s happening, I just really need to be as close to you as I can right now.”

“As do I,” Adam whispered. “Come, Kris; we will be one tonight.”

Kris trembled with anticipation as Adam carefully divested him of his clothing, each feather-light touch setting his skin on fire. He watched Adam disrobe with hooded eyes, hungrily drinking in each patch of bared skin. Nothing, however, burnt quite as much as the sensation of finally feeling Adam’s naked skin against his. The way that Adam’s hands and lips mapped his skin was familiar to him by now; however, he could not help but tense up a little when Adam’s fingers brushed against his hole.

“Adam…” he breathed, gripping the vampire’s arms tightly. “I’ve—I’ve never done this before.”

“Oh, darling.” Adam brushed a kiss over his lips. “You need not worry; I will be most gentle with you. I cannot promise you that it will not hurt; being with a vampire always merits pain of some sort.”

“…then hurt me,” Kris whispered. “I want to feel you, Adam. I want you to stop being so careful around me; I have my own fantasies, too.”

“Pray tell me what they are,” Adam murmured. “I want to turn your dreams into reality.”

“I need you to take me. I want you to sink into me oh-so-slowly until you’ve rendered me incoherent. I want you to fuck me so hard that I’ll be able to feel you in me for days. I want to be able to look back on our first time and remember all of it in excruciatingly beautiful detail.”

Kris moaned happily when Adam ground his mouth upon his, easily surrendering to the kiss. He could taste love and desperation on Adam’s tongue, and it did nothing but spur on his own desire. Feeling brave, Kris pulled away from the kiss and bared his neck to Adam as a silent plea. He had learned to crave the sensation of having razor-sharp fangs sink into his flesh; the mark from his first time had left him eager to experience being fed from again.

“Please, Adam,” he whined. “I want to be able to feel close to you again.”

Adam bent over and swiftly buried his fangs into Kris’ neck, making the latter shiver with need as he fed from him. He moved his hand down Adam’s torso, mapping out the planes and ridges of his broad, muscular chest before finally fisting his cock. Adam groaned softly as Kris began tugging at it, each sliding motion of his hand jerking Adam to full mast.

“Yes…” he murmured, lapping at the blood that had seeped out from Kris’ puncture wounds. “Just like that, my love; mmmm, you are becoming quite skilled at this.”

“Adam, I _want_ you,” Kris panted. “I can’t even find the right words to express my need…”

“There are no correct words,” Adam assured him. “And you need not worry; I am highly aware of your needs. I believe I know exactly what you need, Kristopher.”

He bit into his own wrist and offered it to Kris, his eyes dark with lust.

“Drink from me.”

Kris allowed his tongue to dart out of his mouth, sampling the tangy, stale taste of cold blood on his lips. Intrigued, he leaned forward for more, clamping his lips over the wound on Adam’s wrist to draw blood into his mouth. The tender suckling motions drew a pleasured groan from the vampire, his grip on Kris’ hip tightening enough to bruise. Kris drank greedily, drawing back only when Adam pulled him in for a kiss, hoarse laughter bubbling from his lips.

“You, Mister Allen, make it necessary for a vampire to breathe.”

Adam moved southward again, gently pulling Kris’ legs apart so he could snake in between them. Kris squirmed in pleasure as Adam blew on his hole, teasing the sensitive skin of his pucker. He raised his hips in supplication when Adam dragged the length of his tongue along the rim of his hole, whimpering with need each time Adam pressed his tongue in.

“Stop teasing me, Adam!” he cried. “Please! I—I need…”

 _“What do you need, Kristopher? Tell me. Say it out loud.”_

Adam’s voice echoed in his head as he continued to lick his way into Kris, driving in even deeper each time his hips bucked upwards. It frightened and thrilled him at the same time to realize that he had never been so desperate to have something inside him in his life.

“…fuck me,” he whimpered. “Please.”

 _“I am at your disposal.”_

Kris whined in disappointment as Adam pulled away, already missing the slick wetness of his tongue. Chuckling softly, Adam patted his hip in reassurance, rifling through his discarded coat for a vial of lubricant before crawling back to Kris.

“This is all I have,” he said regretfully. “I have not been carrying condoms on me for awhile since I have been too busy to engage in spur-of-the-moment sexual gratification.”

“We don’t need one,” Kris said thickly. “You, uhm, don’t ejaculate anymore, right? I’ve never slept with anyone, so, I’m clean. I don’t want to feel anything between us for our first time.

His eyes clouded over at the prospect of it being their first and last time lest one or both of them died at the hands of their enemy. Worst of all, Adam said nothing to reassure him. Kris was positive that they were both thinking along the lines of certain death. Shaking his head, he wrapped his arms around Adam’s neck, holding him close and simply breathing him in.

“I’m scared,” he whispered. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“Let us not think about what tomorrow may bring,” Adam said softly. “We have tonight.”

“Then love me. Love me as if you’ll never be able to hold me like this again.”

Adam pushed him to lie back down, uncapping the bottle as he returned to his place between Kris’ legs. Carefully, he massaged the rim of Kris’ asshole with two lubed fingers, pausing every now and then to press in up to the first knuckle, giving him a taste of what it would feel like to be penetrated. Kris wriggled impatiently, trying to impale himself on Adam’s fingers. Adam, however, held him down by splaying a hand over his abdomen, preventing Kris from pushing his hips forward. Without further warning, he pushed his index finger into Kris’ wet, tight heat and allowed it to linger, getting Kris used to the feeling of having something inside him. Humming softly, he drew it back out and pushed in again, paying close attention to Kris’ labored breathing. Kris fidgeted a bit, stifling the sudden desire to clench around Adam’s finger in an odd attempt to keep him there forever.

“Are you feeling alright, darling?” Adam asked. “Does it hurt in any way whatsoever?”

Kris shook his head. “It feels a little uncomfortable, but I’m okay.”

“I will go with two fingers this time, alright? Try not to move around so much.”

Kris nodded, flinching a little when he felt a second finger join the first. He could feel a burn this time, but it wasn’t the kind that made him want to peel off his skin. Instead, he concentrated on his breathing, biting his lip as Adam drove deeper; it was almost as if he was searching for something.

“…oh my.”

His eyes flew open as a current of what felt like electricity traveled up his body, making him tremble in pleasure. Experimentally, he clenched his muscles around Adam’s fingers, gasping when he felt the strangely gratifying current course through his body once more.

“Did you feel that?” Adam queried, sounding almost smug.

“…fuck, what was that?” Kris gasped. “It felt so damn good.”

“Your prostate,” Adam stated simply, pushing in again, curling his fingers in a way that made Kris whimper. “Trust me; it will get better when I fuck you with my cock.”

Kris moaned loudly as he felt a third finger enter him. Adam had lost all sense of propriety now, driving his fingers in and out of Kris’ hole in erratic strokes. Kris mirrored his movements with fervor, his breathing ragged as he fucked himself on Adam’s fingers. It was good, but it was not yet good enough.

He needed more.

“…Adam,” he moaned brokenly. “I _need_ your cock. Please; fuck me with your cock.”

“Slick me up,” Adam murmured, pushing the vial into Kris’ hand. “I am quite large; it may be difficult for me to breach you minus a liberal amount of lubricant.”

Kris hurriedly poured the contents of the vial onto his palm, coating Adam’s hard cock until it was wet and slick to the touch. He went willingly as Adam guided him back down, the vampire’s hand a soothing presence on his hip. Letting his legs fall open, he watched Adam position himself between them under hooded lids, heart throbbing against the cage that was his chest.

“Breathe, Kris,” Adam ordered, rubbing the head of his cock against Kris’ hole. “As I push into you, I want you to release that breath; slowly. It will hurt less that way.”

“I want to feel you,” Kris said simply, cupping Adam’s face with his hands.

“And feel me you shall.”

A soft moan escaped Kris’ throat as Adam pushed into him, filling him inch by excruciating inch. His fingers had been amazing, but nothing could compare to the burning, pleasurable fire that grew just a little bit hotter as Adam finally slid home. They lay still for a moment, with Kris panting harshly in Adam’s ear.

“Does this feel alright?” Adam managed to grunt out, not sounding composed or casual in the least. “You must let me know at once if your body cannot handle the discomfort.”

Kris pushed himself up on his elbows, wriggling his hips in an effort to push Adam further in. Adam groaned loudly, allowing himself to succumb to the erratic push-pull movements of Kris’ hips. Coming to the conclusion that Kris was ready for him, he pulled back out until only the flared head of his cock remained in Kris. Kris whined softly, attempting to cant his hips upwards to pull Adam into his waiting body. Smirking, Adam pulled all the way out, rubbing his cock teasingly along the rim of Kris’ hole.

“Beg for it,” he said roughly.

“Please, Adam!” Kris moaned, shamelessly rutting against him. “I need to feel your cock in me. I want you to fuck me so hard that I won’t be able to think of anything else but this.”

“I will make sure of that,” Adam hissed. “After I finish with you, you will think of nothing but the memory of my cock in your ass and me fucking you into this mattress.”

Kris nearly sobbed in relief as Adam finally pushed into him, fucking him slowly and steadily with smooth, long thrusts. He twined his limbs around Adam’s body, holding him as close as he possibly could, nails leaving half-moon marks on the pale skin of Adam’s back. He met Adam thrust for thrust, panting harshly each time he pushed himself up into Adam’s embrace, feeling like he would shatter each time Adam touched that spot inside him.

“Oh god, fuck me!” he cried. “ _Harder_ , Adam. Please!”

Adam hooked Kris’ leg over his shoulder and drove in again, eliciting a soft scream from Kris at the sudden change in angle. Kris threw his head back and murmured Adam’s name like a litany, all the while thinking, _finally, finally, finally_.

“…I’m gonna come,” he whimpered.

Adam reached in between them and wrapped his hand around Kris’ cock, jerking him off in time with his thrusts. A keening noise escaped Kris’ throat as he came, covering their torsos with his cum. He lay there limply as Adam chased his own climax, thrusting frantically into Kris before finally collapsing on top of him. Kris curled his arms around Adam’s neck, breathing in the faint traces of his perfume. He had never been with anyone before, so he had never felt how it was to have a lover’s sweat stain his skin or to have the proof of their intercourse leak out of him. Adam, however, was not capable of such, as his physical body no longer functioned the way a living human’s did.

“I was thinking,” he said softly. “I was thinking of how things would have gone if I stayed in Conway.”

Adam gave no verbal response. Instead, he tightened his hold on Kris and busied himself with nuzzling at his throat. Giggling softly, Kris pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

“Conway is like, the epitome of what’s normal, you know? Well, to me, at least. If I stayed, I would have never been involved in such a conspiracy. I would have never spent my days and nights worrying if you would still be alive when I opened my eyes. In short, I would have lived in a worry-free world.”

“Do you regret this?” Adam asked quietly. “Do you regret staying with me?”

“I would have had infinite regrets if I chose to turn back.” Kris reached out to stroke his cheek. “I love you, Adam; I don’t think I could ever love anyone else the way I love you. The differences that set us apart don’t matter to me at all. Human, vampire…there are no rules, anyway. As long as we love each other, everything is going to be okay.”

“You have no qualms about us having a different kind of relationship, then?”

“None at all,” Kris smiled. “You can still walk in the sun; we can have a life together.”

Adam chuckled. “You are a simple man with simple desires, but that is what I love about you, Kristopher. With a job like mine, I easily tire of the complex. You keep me stable; you keep me grounded. You make me want to stay alive.”

“…we will live, Adam,” Kris rolled over to straddle his hips. “We will survive this together. But until we need to leave, I must demand that you love me.”

“Gladly,” Adam said with a smirk, reaching up to pull him in for another kiss.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The return trip to Los Angeles had been quiet and full of tension. Adam had spent most of the flight on the phone discussing possible strategies and methods of damage control with Cassidy, who had been growing increasingly concerned with the strange silence that had fallen upon the once bustling city. It had been a short flight, but Kris had found himself drifting in and out of sleep, waking up with the faint traces of his nightmares on his lips. Though he had slept well after their lovemaking, he still felt thoroughly exhausted. David had said it was because he was unconsciously absorbing some of Adam’s stress due to the fact that Kris had fed from him earlier that day. Their bonded blood would strengthen their ties, and they would be able to feel what the other was feeling to a certain extent. As soon as they had touched ground, Adam rang up the Daywalkers for a meeting at their apartment, anxious to discuss the best possible plans.

“It’s daytime, so none of them are skulking around right now.” Brad sighed, lifting the heavy curtain up for a peek outside. “The thing is, that’s all they do. I’m actually praying for someone to come busting through those doors demanding a fight to the death just to know it’s one of those usual misunderstandings you guys can easily take care of.”

“We have to lure them in,” Cook insisted. “I suggest we throw some sort of party; it worked in Arkansas, so maybe they’ll be drawn to it here as well. It can serve as some sort of trap. We can have all the city vamps there to give off the pretense that it’s some major shit and lots of people are there.”

Adam nodded. “That is an idea. However, we need to make sure the humans stay away from this; I do not desire any unnecessary deaths under my watch.”

“I’ll give Big Daddy and his cronies a heads up,” Cook promised, rising from his seat at the bar to grab his coat. “Security needs to be tighter than usual tonight.”

Adam turned to Monte. “You don’t have to stay. I have a bad feeling regarding tonight’s ploy, and I am certain it will be hazardous to your safety. Return to your wife and children.”

“I’m not backing out this time, man,” Monte declared, saluting Cook as he strode out of the club. “You saved Ariel’s life; the least I can do in return is to help save yours.”

Adam chuckled softly. “You would be the only human who has the gall to say that to me. I thank you, Monte; your assistance is eternally appreciated.”

Kris watched the exchange from his seat in a booth, relieved to feel that some of the tension was starting to leave Adam. Across him, Tommy was nursing a mug of reheated type O, his normally impassive expression marred by the worried lines on his face.

“You’re being paranoid again, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am,” Tommy declared. “I never feel safe with schemes that aren’t foolproof. They tricked us into following them to Arkansas to divert our attention from LA. I have a feeling that those fuckers trolling around after sundown are spying on us. Heck, they’ve probably devised a plan of attack already.”

“This is why we must beat them to it,” David said softly. “We’ll hold the party tonight; I don’t think they’ll have time to gather their strongest forces if we take their queen first.”

“You think it is wise, then?” Adam asked, watching David with thoughtful eyes.

“…no.” David shook his head. “It is reckless and absurd, but that is what we need right now. By now, I’m sure they have associated us with carefully planned strategies; I am unwilling to give them the pleasure of success because of that bit of information.”

“If you guys are going to stage some cool party, then you’d better start planning,” Brad quipped. “I’ll talk the owner into letting us use the club tonight. You’ll have to shell out some dough, but that’s the only way to keep humans from dropping in on the party.”

“Finances will not be a problem,” Adam assured him. “I am prepared to shell out whatever amount necessary to make sure our plans push through tonight. Brad, might you begin negotiations with the owner as soon as possible?”

“I’m on it,” Brad promised. “You two go on home and get some rest in the meantime; I’ll telephone you at once as soon as I bag the place.”

Tommy arched an eyebrow. “You seem quite confident in your abilities to convince the owner to give us a hand. I can’t help but wonder how you’re going to explain all this.”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head off, Ratliff,” Brad simpered prettily. “I have a few tricks of my own. Did it ever occur to any of you that the owner of the Mayan could be a vampire as well?”

“…you don’t say,” David murmured, amazed. “You mean to tell us that Miss Carmit Bachar is also one of us? How is this possible?”

“Carmit’s only the branch manager,” Brad explained. “The owner is actually Lady Kara DioGuardi. I’m sure you’ve heard of her, Adam.”

“Indeed I have,” Adam agreed. “I met her on a European cruise during my travels. She is a charming lady, but is quite full of herself. She deigned to tell me of the Mayan as her property.”

“Really?” Brad inquired. “And here I was thinking she would boast of all her gains. Ah well, it’s good enough that she’s quite fond of me. She’s vacationing in New Mexico right now, so all I need to do is to put in a quick phone call. It won’t take much to get her to agree; Lady Kara is quite fond of bloodshed.”

“New Mexico, huh?” Tommy scowled bitterly. “Why is it that some vampires get to go out and enjoy their immortality while we sit here and ponder our future?”

“Because the world needs someone to play the role of protector,” David replied simply. “Anyway, Brad is right; we need to get some rest before we venture out tonight. Also, the less activity here, the better. I will use my time to seek aid from our allies in the nearby cities.”

“I’m gonna head out as well,” Monte announced. “Let me do the day errands; most of you guys are pretty much incapacitated in the wake of sunlight. Adam, just text me if you need anything.”

Tommy rose from his seat. “So am I. I’m more useful out there than in here.”

Adam nodded. “Yes, that’s an excellent idea. Be very careful, all of you. Let me know at once if you have any new information.”

“You, my lord and father, should be the one not doing anything reckless,” David said with a wry smile. “Everyone is doing their part to help, so I’m sure we will be fine. Kris, please watch over him for me; you know how he is when he feels the weight of the world rests on his shoulders.”

“I’m not sure if I can stop him, though.” Kris shook his head. “When Adam is on his protector streak, there’s nothing much we can do about it.”

“Relax; I promise I will not do anything rash until tonight,” Adam said lightly. “I can make no promises when faced with threats on the battlefield.”

“Of course; I do not expect any less of any of you,” David sighed. “Perhaps I may say the same of myself. Anyway, we must make preparations. I will see you both later.”

Kris buried his face into Adam’s chest as soon as the door closed behind Tommy, seeking comfort in the circle of his arms. He sighed contentedly as Adam pressed a kiss to his forehead. In moments like these, it was so easy to pretend that they were not about to jumpstart a war that would decide their fates.

“—Lord Lambert!”

Kris jumped back in surprise as a cloaked figure nearly tumbled into the main room, tossing the smoking garment onto the carpeted floor. He gasped upon seeing the burn marks on Taylor’s wrists, realizing that he had gone out in the sun when he clearly wasn’t supposed to.

“What on earth are you doing here, Taylor?” Adam demanded. “Are you not supposed to be resting for tonight? I specifically gave out instructions regarding this matter.”

“I had to come,” Taylor said quietly. “Doctor Grey has a very important message for you. She needs you to come to the lab. Posthaste.”


	4. The Totem

_“I do not love you except because I love you;  
I go from loving to not loving you,  
From waiting to not waiting for you  
My heart moves from cold to fire.  
I love you only because it’s you the one I love;  
I hate you deeply, and hating you  
Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you  
Is that I do not see you but love you blindly.  
Maybe January light will consume  
My heart with its cruel ray,  
Stealing my key to true calm.  
In this part of the story, I am the one who dies;  
The only one; and I will die of love because I love you.  
Because I love you,  
Love, in fire and blood.”_

\- Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973)

 

Camila Grey’s lab was a goldmine for any mad scientist. It was a large, dark room that smelled distinctly of formalin; windows were taped down with yards of black electrician’s tape to keep the rays of sunlight from creeping in. Beakers and test tubes bubbled about, each containing strangely colored chemicals that Kris would have never been able to tell apart. One side of the room contained a series of capsules that housed various elements of human anatomy, making it seem like a design straight from a horror movie set. The good doctor herself looked every bit the part of the mad scientist, breathtakingly beautiful despite her unruly hair and bloodstained coat.

“What is it that you needed me to see so badly, Cammy?” Adam asked lightly.

“Well, it’s more of something I need to ask,” Camila replied, gesturing towards the nauseating mess on one of her tables. “Are you sure you’ve never come across Katy O’Connell before?”

Adam snorted. “I certainly would have remembered her if I have; her hostility and disrespect towards me was quite difficult to forget. With all due respect, might I ask why she matters all of a sudden, Doctor Grey?”

“Judging from how long she’s been one of us, I could easily tell that she hasn’t fed from much,” Camila declared. “However, I picked up strong traces of your blood on her remains, my lord; if I were to analyze this logically, I can very well say that you were her Sire.”

“Impossible!” Adam protested. “You must believe me, Cammy! I know my past; I can assure you that I have turned David and David alone.”

The doctor tilted her head in his direction, her eyes sharp yet trusting. “I know; I do not doubt your word. That does not erase the fact that I can smell you on her.”

“May I check for myself?” Kris asked softly. “I know Adam’s scent better than anyone does.”

“Have at it,” Camila said with a grand sweep of her arm. “Maybe you’ll change his mind.”

Kris slipped on the pair of surgical gloves that Taylor held out for him to take and hesitantly approached the bloody remains of what had once been Katy O’Connell. Grimacing, he lifted a handful of the disgusting mess to his nostrils, relieved at the prospect of inhaling formalin over decay.

“…well?” Taylor’s impatience was as clear as day.

“Cam’s right,” Kris said softly. “I do smell Adam on her; however, there’s something that’s a bit…off. It’s weird because I can smell his physical form, but not his memories. It’s Adam, but not him at the same time; I don’t even know if that makes any sense at all.”

Cam shook her head. “It doesn’t. But in a society like ours, things that don’t seem to make sense may just make the most sense after all. Can you deduce anything from the smell of this so-called other Adam?”

“Nothing,” Kris replied. “That’s the strangest thing of all; I can’t pick up anything on him.”

“Am I supposed to believe the idea that there are two of me in this universe?” Adam asked incredulously. “That is clearly impossible; and you are all aware of that.”

“Your rationale is out of element, my lord,” Camilla warned him. “I know one person who might be able to answer that question, but Tommy staked him a long time ago.”

“My Maker,” Adam murmured. “I know neither his name nor where he came from.”

“Have you ever tried asking Tommy?” Kris asked. “I’m sure he could provide us with a few answers; he had been sent to kill the man, after all.”

“Perhaps, but I do not wish to get my hopes up too high,” Adam sighed. “I know Tommy; he prefers not to do a background check on his targets. It eliminates any form of attachment that way.”

“Let it go for now, my lord,” Camila advised. “I know you have more important things to prepare for tonight. I am only keeping my promise of reporting to you at once if I find anything new.”

“I know, and I will be forever grateful for your friendship and loyalty.” Adam reached out to squeeze her hands. “But for now, I must ask you to pay attention to tonight’s matter. Rest up; I need everyone to be present at the party tonight.”

“Understood,” Camila replied peaceably. “For once in my life, I hope to be able to enjoy such festivities. Have a good day, my lord. Taylor, please escort them out.”

Kris trembled at the impact of her words. She had masked them with ease, but the meaning behind them was crystal clear. Just like everyone else, she was hoping for a victory—one of which they were all pretending to be assured of. False bravado was an awful thing, but Kris understood that it was necessary for Adam to act like everything was going to be perfect in order to prevent worry from spreading among his allies. The tension radiated off him in waves as he swiftly moved towards the exit, shoulders stiff and fists clenched tightly at his side. Afraid to speak, Kris said a quick goodbye to Taylor before following Adam out into the city, his head filled with thoughts of what would happen after sunset.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I brought you some clothes from Cassidy’s.” Adam folded the garment bag across Kris’ outstretched arms. “Dress quickly; we must make this charade look convincing.”

Kris carefully placed the garment bag on the divan before reaching out to grip Adam’s shoulders in an attempt to steady him. Adam looked every bit the part of a Master Vampire. He looked resplendent and authoritative in his black leather duster, snakeskin button-down shirt, tight jeans and combat boots. His hair was slicked back from his face in rumpled spikes, and he had gone full-force on the makeup, grey glitter and black shadow streaked across his lids like fairy dust.

“You look wonderful,” Kris murmured, burrowing into the circle of Adam’s arms.

“Thank you,” Adam replied softly. “I figured that dressing up would help me feel more at ease somehow. I have no heart to do battle in the armor of a stranger.”

“We’ll manage,” Kris assured him. “Everyone who is anyone is here to help. Tommy told me earlier that Cale was able to seek assistance from Torres and his best men. I don’t know if you believe in the idea that there is strength in numbers, but the thought of it is reassuring nonetheless.”

Adam chuckled. “You make the perfect Queen. Look at you; you are being such a delight by providing me strength when I need it most. Had we lived in the olden times, I would have asked for your hand in marriage to make you my Queen.”

“I would look terrible in a ball gown, though,” Kris giggled. “I’m not exactly the most graceful person in the universe, so I wouldn’t be able to move properly in it.”

“However, the thrill of lifting your bouffant skirts so I can fuck you against the wall is most pleasing.” Adam cocked his head, smiling devilishly. “We should give roleplay a go sometime.”

Kris pressed a kiss to his cheek, relieved that he had managed to better the vampire’s mood. Pulling away from Adam, he unzipped the garment bag and proceeded to dress, feeling like a chameleon slipping into his second skin. The glitter and the leather would do little to protect them from physical harm, but Kris understood why covering themselves in it made the vampires feel more grounded. They had lived most of their afterlives wrapped in riches and beautiful things that they loved; it was a relief to be able to wrap themselves in the skin they were so used to. As Adam had told him, wearing a stranger’s armor would be of no help in the battlefield.

“Come; allow me to doll you up a little.” Adam took his hand and led him over to the vanity table. “Some liner, mascara and shimmer will do the trick.”

Kris held himself still as Adam made quick work of his face, creating a masterpiece in shades of gold, brown and black, Kris serving as his canvass. Once he deemed his work satisfactory, he cradled Kris’ face in his hands and pressed a kiss to his lips, chuckling softly when Kris nibbled on his nose.

“I will end up ravishing you if we keep this up,” he said with a grin. “We should join the others now; I want to see how things are going down there.”

Adam escorted him to the lower area of The Mayan, excusing himself from Kris’ company as soon as Monte called him over. Kris accepted a bottle of Heineken from Cook, taking small sips as he strolled around the club, observing the goings-on with curious eyes. To an ordinary onlooker, it would seem just like one of those regular night spectacles. The décor was in place, and vampires milled around, dancing and flirting with plus ones and friends while toting Cosmopolitans. Some of them were characters that Kris was quite familiar with, but there were others that he barely recognized. Vampires from several other states had flocked in to help out (he had met Cook’s stepfather earlier that evening) in case the inevitable would come upon them. The humans from Adam’s circle had offered their assistance as well; the Cherrys and some of Kris’ friends from work came to show their support. Big Daddy and his cronies were standing guard out front, armed to the nines just in case trouble was afoot.

For now, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

“You know, I’m really starting to dig the LA vamps’ way of doing things.” Andrew popped up next to him, literally swooping in out of nowhere. “I’ve never heard of strategically planning a party with full intentions of using it as a battleground—well, aside from Tron, at least.”

“Trust me; hanging out with these guys makes you feel like you’re starring in a wonderfully bizarre film,” Kris laughed. “The glitz can be a bit overwhelming, but you learn to fall in love with it.”

“Shiny things do have a certain appeal,” Andrew agreed, eyes following Brooke as she made her way to the punch table. “They’re exotic creatures to us Conway fangers.”

“You should tell her you like her,” Kris pointed out. “People in love can wait forever, but it would be cruel to make them do so. Besides, I’m sure she feels the same way about you. Remember how she was so reluctant to leave you when you told her to go?”

“She still hasn’t forgiven me for that,” Andrew said with a rueful grin. “One of the reasons why I came along is because I want to talk to her. Torres told us that there was a big possibility of chaos breaking out tonight, so I figured I’d stop being a jerk and tell her the truth about everything.”

“You’re not that much of a jerk,” Kris teased. “But yeah, you need to man up and tell her. If tonight goes well, you’re going to have all the time in the world to have a great relationship.”

“Kris, have a little more faith.” Andrew squeezed his shoulder tightly. “Tonight will end well. As soon as the sun rises, we’re going to go back to the lives that we know by heart.”

“De Roberts, what kind of ideas are you putting into this boy’s head?”

“Optimistic ones, of course,” Andrew smirked. “Chris, this is Kris—wait, let me rephrase that. Chris Torres, meet Kris Allen. Kris Allen, meet Chris Torres, our resident Latin Jesus.”

“It’s good to finally meet you, Allen.” Torres gripped his outstretched hand in a firm handshake. “Adam has told me quite a lot of things about you.”

“Good things, I hope,” Kris said with a grin. “It was good of you guys to fly all the way here; I’m sure Adam appreciates the support.”

“Well, I do owe him,” Torres chuckled, taking a sip from his own bottle of Heineken. “In fact, I think nearly every vampire is indebted to him in some way. Adam has always been the generous character in this story; he gives freely without expecting anything in return. It’s really quite fascinating.”

“He’s a good man,” Kris agreed, a fond smile gracing his face. “I’m very lucky.”

“All the best to you and your partner, my friend.” Torres clinked his bottle against Kris’. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there are two ladies in great need of my attention.”

“Interesting man, isn’t he?” Andrew remarked as he watched Torres weave his way in and out of the throng of people. “He works hard, but parties harder.”

“Just like Brad,” Kris giggled. “Speaking of which, I need to go find him; Alisan’s going to kill us both if she doesn’t get first dibs on the devil’s food cake I made for tonight.”

“And I need to have a conversation with my lady,” Andrew declared. “See you later, Kris; I’ll tell you how it goes. Pray she doesn’t throw her shoe at me.”

“I’ll keep you in my thoughts!” Kris promised him, already on his way to the kitchen area. “And I don’t think she’ll throw her shoes at you; they’re new and they cost her a fortune!”

He arrived at his destination to see Brad balancing two trays of cakes in his hands, cursing loudly as he tried to close the refrigerator with a clever little roll of his hips.

“Here, let me get that,” he offered, freeing Brad’s left hand of its burden. “You should have told me you needed help; I would have been here a lot earlier.”

“Well, you’re Adam’s Queen, petal.” Brad pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek, laughing happily as Kris squirmed under his touch. “I’m sure he wanted to introduce you to all the important people in his political life before sending you off to the kitchens to serve cake.”

“Which I actually like doing,” Kris pointed out, rummaging in the drawers for a knife. “Is it my fault I’m pretty much the reincarnation of Martha Stewart in male form?”

“Now that I’m watching you slice that cake into perfect bite—sized triangles, I think it’s safe to say that it’s your Mama’s fault,” Brad replied impishly. “But she’s at fault for a very good reason; your cakes make me feel proud to be a human being that can still enjoy them.”

“Not to mention they keep you off that ridiculous diet.” Kris stuck his tongue out at Brad. “Now, will you please be a sweetheart and stick the fancy toothpicks into the slices?”

“Oh, that I can do!” Brad’s eyes lit up. “I’ll go get some in the storage area; I’ll be right back.”

Kris felt strangely Zen whenever he engaged himself in domestic activities. The science of precision in term of cutting the cake was something he knew well; it soothed him to be able to busy himself with such a familiar task. Humming happily to himself, he reached for the silver tray, figuring he could go on ahead and plate them as he sliced. A loud crashing noise from the store room told him that Brad had knocked something over yet again.

“They’re in the bright pink box on the corner shelf, Brad!” he called out. “Whatever it is you tipped over, I sure hope it’s not something you have to pay for.”

“Good, because I have no intentions of paying.”

Kris’ head jerked up at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, a harsh breath escaping his lips when he caught sight of the tall stranger holding an unconscious Brad captive. Shocked, he backed up against the counter, grabbing the kitchen knife by its handle on instinct.

“…who are you?” he managed to croak out. “And how did you get in here?”

“That’s not important at the moment,” the man sneered. “However, you should know that your security in the back area sucks balls. We disposed of them quite easily. This feisty little guy here put up more of a fight than those humans outside. Tsk, and I thought this Lambert was smart.”

“What do you mean by ‘this Lambert’?” Kris demanded. “Do you know this other Adam?”

“Why, you’re actually pretty smart for a country bumpkin,” the vampire advanced towards him, flinging Brad carelessly to the corner of the room. “The Master thought no one would be able to discover his identity, but here you are, practically answering your own question. Your beloved lord’s sworn enemy is no other but himself, Kristopher Allen. However, I think I’m going to treat myself to a little snack before I rip off Adam Lambert’s head; I’m sure you taste just as good as they all say.”

“Not in your afterlife, you schmuck!” Brad yelled, driving at the vampire with a newly sharpened two-by-four. “You don’t fucking mess with Brad Bell.”

Kris grimaced as blood and flesh pooled out on the ivory tiles. He’d seen quite a number of vampires deaths already, but still felt that he would never be able to get used to them.

“Are you okay, honey?” Brad asked, rubbing at the spot where the back of his head had connected with the wooden drawer. “I had to pretend to black out so he would ignore my attempts to save your cute little behind. Anyway, we’ve got to head on out and warn the others—”

Their conversation was interrupted by an injured Cassidy’s abrupt entrance. Blood was leaking from the left side of his forehead, and he had numerous gashes along the skin of his arms.

“Jesus Christ!” Brad rushed to his side. “What the hell happened to you, baby?”

“Adam was right,” Cassidy said quietly. “They’ve come.”

“You mean they’re out there, too?” Kris asked, panic coursing through his veins. “Brad and I were nearly killed by the vampire that forced his way in. From what I know, he killed the guards that we stationed at the rear entrance.”

“Well, the rest of them just crashed the party—quite literally, even,” Cassidy growled. “Anyway, we have to get you to safety. Adam asked me to take you upstairs to the alcoves; Scarlett is up there with Alisan and Lisa. Taylor and David are standing guard.”

“What about Adam?” Kris asked. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine,” Cassidy promised him. “He’s fighting alongside everyone else down there. You needn’t worry about him, Kris; he’s more than capable of protecting himself. Besides, he’s had your blood. That alone will give him the strength he needs.”

“Who are the crazies down there, anyway?” Brad asked as Cassidy escorted them to the upper area. “Don’t tell me they just fucking popped out of nowhere.”

“Actually, that seems to be the case,” Cassidy sighed. “For some reason, they’re not members of one clan. It’s like a bunch of fangers from across America simply decided to crash the party.”

“Add that to the list of shit we don’t understand,” Brad scowled. “Which is, by the way, getting longer and longer by the second. Are you sure you don’t need my help kicking evil vampire ass?”

“Honey, I would never forgive myself if I allowed you to go down there and something happened to you.” Cassidy’s words were firm yet tender. “Have mercy on my heart and stay here where it’s safe, alright?”

“Quick; come in, you two!” Taylor hissed, opening the door a crack. “It may only be a matter of time before one of those morons realizes that this building has more than one floor, so we’d better prepare for either an escape or an attack.”

“Take care of them, Taylor,” Cassidy instructed. “I have to get back down there.”

“Got it,” Taylor affirmed. “Good luck.”

“Do what you have to do, Cassidy,” David said quietly. “Look out for Adam and Dave if you can; I don’t want anything terrible to happen to them.”

“…and if you don’t come back, I’m never going to forgive you!” Brad said harshly, pressing his lips to Cassidy’s in a torrid kiss. “Return safely to me, okay?”

“You bet I will.” Cassidy winked at him before turning on his heel to rush back downstairs.

“Are you alright?” Kris immediately rushed to Scarlett’s side. “The baby isn’t coming yet, is he?”

“God, I sure hope not,” Scarlett replied with a grimace. “I don’t think I can handle having Cherrypie in a situation where we might need to relocate every five minutes.”

“Where’s Lee?” Kris inquired.

“Fighting the good fight,” Scarlett answered. “He wanted to stay, but I told him they needed his help down there. Besides, Ali and Lisa have been fabulous enough to stay with me.”

“You must be Kris.” The pretty blond woman next to Scarlett turned to him. “I’m Lisa Pittman, Monte’s wife. They kind of talk about you a lot, you know.”

“So I’ve heard.” Kris ducked his head, grinning a little. “I wish we could have met in better circumstances.”

“We’ll have time to chat later on, don’t worry.” Lisa smiled, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. “But for now, we have to make sure Mama here is going to be alright.”

Kris moved from his place to join Taylor and David at the door, listening intently to the chaos from down below. He felt sick just standing there, unable to do anything to help Adam and the others.

Can you hear me, Adam? If you can, know that I am sending you good thoughts.

“…you want to go out there, don’t you?” David asked. “But we are under strict orders from Adam to keep you safe. It would cause him anguish to know that something terrible has happened to you.”

“There’s a ‘but’ hanging at the end of your words, Archie,” Taylor said knowingly.

“But right now, I think you need to be near him,” David continued. “For once, I will disobey my father’s orders. Taylor, I want you to accompany Kris into the fray. Take some guns and stakes with you. It will be difficult to stay safe, but I trust you.”

“Got it,” Taylor confirmed, crossing the room to rifle through a burlap sack on the bureau. “Have you ever shot a gun in your lifetime, Kris?”

“…god, no.” Kris shook his head. “It’s just that…there’s never really been a need for me to learn how to.”

“Well, you’re going to get first-hand training on an actual battleground,” Taylor said dryly, pressing a pistol into his hand. “For now, all you need to know is that you need to keep your finger off the trigger when the gun is not in safety mode—it is right now, so don’t look at it like it’s going to eat you. It’s equipped with wooden bullets instead of normal ones since those can’t kill vampires. Also, you’re going to need some stakes if you need to go in for the kill; otherwise, leave the decimating to me.”

“Uhm, alright,” Kris said nervously. “I have terrible luck, so I’m going to keep my hands to myself for well, most of the time.”

“Jesus Christ—and I thought Sunnydale was the city on top of the Hellmouth,” Brad scowled.

“But you have to remember that Buffy came from LA—where there were also vampires,” Alisan piped up. “Then she moved to Sunnydale with her Mama to get away from it all, only to find out that she was going to have a whole slew of new adventures.”

“Sounds like my autobiography,” Kris said with a grimace. “Y’all need to get this Buffy girl and me a coffee date sometime; maybe we can compare vampire boyfriends, too.”

“I’ll pencil you in,” Brad chuckled. “Now, you get out there and show ‘em fuckers what we pretty human boys can do. And if Cassidy dies, tell him I’m going to kill him again.”

“Alright, we’re heading out,” Taylor announced, balancing a loaded crossbow on his shoulder. “You guys be careful here. Brad, you just swing that two-by-four whichever way you like.”

Kris cautiously followed him out the door, tightening his grip on the wooden stake. From their view of the lower area, he could see Cook perched precariously on a table, warding off the attacking vampires with a crossbow with arrows that exploded in flames as soon as they hit their targets.

“Hellfire,” Taylor explained helpfully. “Cook took very quickly to the use of fire as a weapon. Now, I want you to hold on to me tightly, okay?”

“…what the fuck are we going to do?” Kris managed to squeak as he tightened his grip around Taylor’s waist. “Frankly, I don’t like that look on your face right now.”

“Adam’s right; you are good at reading people by facial expression.” Taylor cocked his head to the side. “But to answer your question, we’re going to jump.”

“…jump?” Kris’ eyes were the size of golf balls.

“Yeah.” Taylor grinned wildly at him. “You see the table where Tommy’s standing right below the railing? That’s where we’re headed. He’s going to kill me for literally dropping down with you, but if there’s anyone who can protect you—besides Adam and me, of course—it’s Tommy. Now, hang tight!”

A soft cry escaped Kris’ throat as they made the quick descent to the lower area. Sure enough, they made a clean landing on the table, and Tommy was glaring daggers at Taylor.

“Why the fuck did you bring him here?”

“Listen, Tommy,” Kris placated him, ducking to avoid the stake someone had tossed across the room in an attempt to kill Tommy (Tommy had caught it easily without batting an eyelash). “I wanted to be here, okay? I just felt so useless up there; I’m not this fragile little thing you have to protect all the time. Besides, I was worried about Adam. I didn’t want to break into his thoughts because he could lose focus.”

“I haven’t seen him all night, I’m afraid.” Tommy’s face clouded over with worry. “I can sense him, but he’s not in the room. He up and left shortly after these fuckers crashed the party.”

“Dude, I think all the hatred is being directed in your direction right now.” Taylor fired a bolt into an attacking vampire’s chest. “All these crazies probably thought that this was a good time to exact revenge on Tommy Joe Ratliff for murdering one or six of their cronies.”

“They need to realize that it’s a foolish idea to mess with me,” Tommy said dryly. “Be glad you didn’t have to witness what I did to their friends in Arkansas.”

“He ripped them limb from limb!” Andrew yelled over the din of the chaos. “It was fucking glorious!”

“And I can do it again. Like, right now.” Tommy grabbed another vampire by the neck.

Kris watched in morbid fascination as Tommy snapped her neck with ease before plunging a stake into her heart. He had never doubted Tommy’s status as the most adept fighter in the city, but seeing him in action was on a whole other level. He fought with a fluid, catlike grace, confident of each and every move.

“And I should remind you right now—look to your right and your left when engaged in combat.” Tommy gripped Kris by the wrist to help him unload a bullet into another rogue’s chest. “They can rip you in half from any side at any time.”

Determined to pull his own weight, Kris pressed himself close to Tommy’s back, bravely warding off any vampire that seemed to be interested in ripping Tommy’s head off. Keeping them away was a struggled thanks to his utter lack of training in the whole let’s-go-to-war department, but he managed to get three or four down for Tommy to stake.

“Here, use this,” Tommy instructed, pressing a shovel into his hands. “Whack them real good with the metal part, then stake them with the wooden end. That should be easier to maneuver.”

“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m kicking actual vampire butt,” Kris murmured in disbelief. “My brother once told me that I wouldn’t make it out of a beating alive.”

“Yet here you are showing evil vampires who’s boss,” Taylor smirked. “Congratulations, Buffy; you’ve officially evolved into a full-fledged Slayer. Now, if anyone asks, I’m definitely Anya.”

“With your interesting tastes for vengeance, I have no qualms about your decision.” Tommy hopped off the table. “Okay, this area’s pretty clean—at least for now.”

“We should go and find Adam,” Kris said softly. “I’m just really worried about him.”

“I bet my collection of World War II antique rifles that he’s blocking access to his mind so we won’t be able to find him,” Tommy scowled. “In short, he’s in big trouble and he doesn’t want any help because he’d rather die alone and be the salvation for a million other souls.”

“I am not going to let him do that!” Kris hissed. “Is there any place around here that you haven’t checked yet? Because my gut instinct is telling me he hasn’t gone far.”

“The rooftop,” Taylor suggested. “Nobody’s gone up there yet.”

“Then let’s go.” Tommy turned on his heel, stake protruding from the sleeve of his coat.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Club Mayan’s rooftop told an entirely different story from that of its interior. It was quiet, dark and nauseatingly peaceful, and Kris could hear nothing apart from the sounds that lulled him to sleep at night. Adam was standing close to the edge of the roof, his black duster billowing slightly in the wind. He, however, was not standing alone. A second tall, dark figure stood, his face obscured by the play of the lights from the club’s sign. Curious, Kris inched forward, only to be blocked bodily by Tommy.

“Kris. Wait.”

His tone was tense and authoritative. Reluctantly, Kris hung back, gripping the edge of Tommy’s coat with one hand. Next to him, Taylor was just as tense. He was nervously toying with one of the bolts from his crossbow, gripping it so tightly that Kris felt it would snap in two.

“…what’s going on?” he asked quietly. “Who’s that up there with Adam?”

“His Other Self,” Tommy replied gravely. “To explain it further, the mastermind behind this entire wild goose chase. I can’t believe I failed to figure it out earlier—all the clues were there; O’Connell being all indignant about us winning this war, the emergence of the random vampires, traces of Adam’s blood in O’Connell’s remains. I didn’t realize this until I was too late.”

“You haven’t changed a bit, Ratliff,” the stranger drawled, his voice exactly like yet unlike Adam’s at the same time. “I kept telling you that you would have fared better if you crossed over to my side instead of staying with this pathetic excuse of a pacifist. Why, I find it so difficult to believe that we are supposed to be one and the same person.”

“Leave him out of this, spurious,” Adam said darkly, moving towards the light. “No, I stand corrected—leave them all out of this. Your argument concerns me and me alone, correct?”

“Your nobility sickens me,” the Other snapped. “Your sheer _existence_ sickens me.”

His sudden movement allowed Kris leeway to see his face closely. He was Adam and yet not. His hair was feathered, golden blond; his lips were set in a thin line, traces of a scowl lingering at the corner of his lips. Their eyes were one and the same, but his eyes lacked the gentleness in Adam’s.

“Ahhhh, my supposed beloved.” He turned to Kris, eyes perversely roaming his form in the near darkness. “Yes, I can see why I would love you; you are the epitome of all the boys I couldn’t have when I was still alive. This was how your Adam looked like when he was younger, you know? Bullied, disliked, unloved. Yep, story of my life.”

“…but who are you?” Kris managed to choke out. “Do you expect me to believe that you and my Adam are one and the same when you’re so different from him?”

“You don’t have to, but that doesn’t change the fact that I am also Adam Lambert.” The Other remained unfazed. “To be specific, I am the demon that failed to possess his soul.”

Kris’ head was spinning. He was beginning to understand less and less of the story.

“It was a turning process gone wrong.” Tommy was trembling. “I was there; I saw it. When humans are about to be turned, there’s always a demon that’s lying in wait. A brief battle between the human soul and the demon ensues at the moment of death, but there can only be one victor. If the human soul wins, you basically retain the same personality as you pass into your second life. If the demon wins, you lose everything. Remember the rogues that we’ve had to put an end to both in Conway and here? That’s what you become when the demon wins.”

“In my case—no, in our case—there was a separation,” Adam spoke up. “I guess this is why I have been living with the notion that someone has been after me for all these years. Just like the old wives’ tale goes, only one of us must survive.”

“I’m sure you already know the answer to that, Lord Lambert,” the Other said mockingly. “Don’t think that you have the upper hand just because you are the ‘real’ Adam Lambert—in this life, we share almost everything. That includes…this.”

Kris gasped in horror as the Other sent Adam tumbling over the edge of the roof with a single sweep of his hand. Adam easily hoisted himself up, retaliating by slamming his other self against the light-up sign.

“Your abuse of your telekinetic abilities is commendable.” He rid himself of his duster and cast it aside. “However, I have spent quite a number of years learning to control it— _perfect_ it, even.”

“That’s exactly what the problem is.” The Other cocked his head. “You think everything ends in perfection simply because there is nothing above that. You lack the wildness of a real vampire.”

“Stop talking to him like that!” Kris exclaimed. “He’s done nothing but help all the vampires here find their place in society. But you…you’re just a demon wearing the face of his human form!”

“…are you saying I’m jealous of him?” The Other furrowed his brow at Kris. “Because that is simply laughable; he doesn’t have anything that I don’t!”

“He has friends,” Taylor said quietly. “He has a Child that loves him dearly. He also has Kris. You may share our lord’s face and perhaps his memories, but you’ve never, ever been in love.”

“And who are you to assume that I need stupid things like love and friendship to survive?” The Other asked incredulously. “It pains me to see idiots like you continue living their lives as if they were still human. Why, most of you can’t even walk in the sun anymore!”

“It’s you who doesn’t understand anything.” Kris shook his head. “Unlike them, you’ve never experienced living like a human. You don’t know the meaning of having to give up important things like your friends, family and your old life because they can’t be part of your new one.”

“They say ignorance is bliss, my friend.” He heard Adam say. “And I see that is the path that you have chosen. I? I have chosen knowledge.”

“And with knowledge comes pain,” the Other smirked. “I am here to bring you the greatest pain imaginable—a pain far worse than death. The pain…of loss.”

Kris screamed as the Other Adam lunged forward and snatched him from Taylor’s grip. One hand kept his wrists secure in a tight grasp; the other was pressing a blade against his heart.

“Let him go!” Tommy scowled, unsheathing the kirin blade that had been hanging at his side. “He’s done nothing to you! It is cowardice to drag a human into a disagreement among vampires.”

“Stay back, Ratliff!” the Other threatened. “Move one step closer and Lambert’s human dies.”

“Sir, please.” Kris’ Adam suddenly seemed drained of strength, his shoulders slumping forward. “I will give you anything you wish. I will even allow you to kill me in his stead. As soon as you return him to Tommy, I will step forward without restraint.”

“I knew you would see things my way.” The Other Adam sounded pleased. “I’ll be kind and give you a few precious seconds to say your goodbyes.”

“ADAM!” Kris yelled, struggling against his captor’s grip. “Please…don’t.”

“I love you, Kris Allen.” Adam’s gaze was soft and tender. “I have loved you from the moment I set eyes on you and I always will. Know that you are worth fighting for, and I would gladly give my life to spare yours.”

“I can’t let you do this, Adam!” Kris shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I won’t know what to do without you. Is there no other way…?”

“Time’s up,” The Other said coldly. “Say goodbye to your beloved, Adam Lambert.”

Kris felt the breath leave him as the dagger plunged straight into his belly. He could hear the Other’s manic laughter ring through the otherwise silent night as he collapsed to the ground, blood pouring out of the wound in his stomach.

“…this is the end of the line.” He heard Taylor say quietly. “Adam was right; this was the path that he would choose. The path of the ignorant. He never knew, did he?”

“No, Taylor. He never did.” He felt Tommy’s hand brush his cheek for a brief moment. “Hang tight, Kris. You’re not going to die. Adam and I are going to end this once and for all.”

“Well-played, spurious.” Adam cradled Kris’ limp form in his arms. “But nobody is going to die—nobody except you, that is.”

“You aren’t Adam,” Tommy said softly. “You don’t know just how important Kris’ role in this story is, don’t you? He is the Totem; he is the one that keeps Adam’s soul anchored to this world. As long as he lives, Adam has something to live for. You, demon, have nothing.”

“And he will live.” Adam’s grip on Kris tightened. “By my blood, he _will_ live.”

Adam buried his fangs into Kris’ throat as Tommy drove his stake into the spurious’ body.

“Sleep.” He heard Adam whisper, his voice soothing. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kris woke to the feather-light touch of a hand across his cheek. Whimpering softly, he leaned into the touch, grateful for the warmth it brought to his cold body.

“You’re okay, Kris.” David said soothingly. “You’re okay now.”

“…what happened?” Kris asked. “I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“For one thing, you’re still alive—alive, but not exactly.” Brad helped him sit up. “Adam saved you just in time. If he had been a few seconds too late, it would have caused us a fuckload of grief.”

“Wait.” Kris blinked. “You mean I’m…?”

“You’re one of us now, man,” Cale replied. “It was the only way Adam could save you. This is why you feel like shit right now; it comes with the transformation.”

“But I don’t really feel any different,” Kris protested. “I still feel like…well, me.”

“That’s because you’re still the same old Kris,” Tommy explained patiently. “Minus the beating heart and plus the need to start consuming blood, you won’t really change at all.”

Kris pressed an open palm to his chest, feeling a little nauseous at, well…feeling nothing at all. David sank onto the bed next to him and put an arm around his shoulder.

“I understand how this must feel to you,” he said softly. “I know you feel like we robbed you of something, and that’s alright; all of us have had to deal with that when we were first turned. However, you haven’t lost your humanity. You’re always going to be Kris Allen and we’re going to be here for you for the rest of your life. Adam was a little afraid to face you, so he went out for a bit.”

“Where is he?” Kris asked, reeling at the sudden longing that coursed through his body. “I want to see him.”

“He’s just outside.” Tommy gestured towards the balcony doors. “It amuses me to no end how the bravest man I know cowers at the prospect of getting snubbed by his lover.”

Gingerly, Kris steadied himself on his feet and made his way to the glass doors. Unable to push down the joy bubbling in his throat, he tapped lightly on the glass pane before opening the door, pausing in his wake to take in Adam’s appearance. Adam was clad in a pair of old jeans, a faded Queen shirt and flip-flops that had seen better days, looking every bit the part of a regular human male.

“Come here.” Adam held out his arms. “Nothing is going to hurt you, darling.”

Kris stretched his arm out, awaiting the burn that would set his skin on fire. Smiling, Adam closed the distance that parted them and took Kris’ hand, leading him over to the railing. LA was just the way it had always been; nothing had changed.

He could still walk in the sun.

 _Fin._


End file.
